Courses
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
SOCI 0101
Current
Upcoming
Introduction to Sociology
Course Description
Introduction to Sociology: The Sociological Imagination
In this course, we will study social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior on American society. Specifically, we will examine the ways that individuals interact in social groups, organizations, and the larger society and the ways that the larger society both influences and is influenced by various social actors. Specific topics may range from crime, education, health, the economy, wealth, income, families, religion, race, gender, sexuality, class, among others with the goal of examining how individuals come together to construct society. In addition, we will explore the ways that social inequalities are created and maintained, examining many different perspectives and research techniques that sociologists use to answer some of society’s most important questions.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0105
Society and the Individual
Course Description
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. (formerly SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0191
Current
Gender and the Body
Course Description
Gender and the Body
What is your gender and how do you know? In order to answer this question, we need to consider how gender is known through biology, psychology, consumer capitalism, and our everyday embodiment. We will also look at how the meaning and performance of gender have changed over time from Classical Greece to Victorian England to the contemporary U.S. Throughout, we will consider how gender does not operate along, but is always entangled with, race, class, sexuality, nationality, and ability. (formerly SOAN 0191) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0201
Upcoming
Sociology of Labor
Course Description
Sociology of Labor
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. (formerly SOAN 0201) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0212
Family in Contemporary Society
Course Description
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.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0218
Current
Sociology of Sport
Course Description
Sociology of Sport
In this course we will explore sport-related issues and sport-society issues from a sociological perspective. Through lectures, films, class discussions, and student presentations we will examine the roles of sport within contemporary social systems, and ways in which sport reflects and enhances individual, collective, and national agendas and identities. We will also critically analyze various topics, including violence, cheating, and technology while focusing on “mega sporting events,” the media, and eSport. Additionally, by using sport as a lens to examine class, gender, and race we will illuminate the manners in which sport is entangled in socio-cultural, political, and economic forces. (formerly SOAN 0218) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0228
Upcoming
Theories & Fundamentals of CT
Course Description
Theories and Fundamentals of Conflict Transformation
In this course, we will explore the interdisciplinary field of Conflict Transformation as both a philosophical orientation and a theoretical framework for understanding conflict as part of the human experience. In exploring conflict transformation, we will move beyond examining conflict as something that should be avoided (conflict prevention) or resolved through various formal and informal processes of negotiation (conflict resolution). Instead, this course will examine the ways that conflict is normal in human relationships, an integral part of human experiences, and can act as a catalyst for social transformation. To do so, we will examine conflict at multiple different levels of human experiences such as interpersonal, national, and international using a broader lens to explore the “bigger picture” of the historical, social, and interpersonal causes of conflict. In doing so, we will come to understand conflict as not something that is always destructive but also productive in creating social change on the personal, interpersonal, local, national, and international level.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0234
Upcoming
Contemporary Israel
Course Description
Contemporary Israel: Society, Culture and Politics
In this course we will examine Israeli society and politics in a period of rapid and profound transformation. We begin with an introductory unit on Zionism, Palestinian nationalism and the history of the state. Subsequent units examine the social, cultural and political characteristics of Israel’s main population sectors (Middle Eastern, European, Russian and Ethiopian Jews and Palestinian citizens and residents of the state) and religious groupings (Muslims and Jews, including secular, traditional, national-religious and ultra-Orthodox). The final units examine intensifying political struggles that will shape the future of Israel and the region. Topics will include the role of religion in public life; civil rights, democracy and the courts; and West Bank settlements, occupation, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0235
The City and Its People
Course Description
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. (formerly SOAN 0235) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0238
Upcoming
Visual Sociology
Course Description
Visual Sociology
We live in a visual world. To understand society and culture, we must understand the images we produce and consume. This course provides a sociological lens to study how we use and are used by images. We will study key theories that frame how visual contents (such as photographs, films, and videos) are shared, viewed, and interpreted by various audiences. Using images as our starting point, we will analyze the messages and imagery in visual texts to extract their social meanings. We will engage three sides of visual sociology: images as cultural artifacts, picture making as data collection, and displaying research visually. (Sociology) (Juniors and Seniors by permission only) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0240
Current
Inequality & American Dream
Course Description
Inequality and the American Dream
In this course we will explore sociological attempts to explain who “gets ahead” in the contemporary United States. We will discuss two distinct issues that are often conflated in public discussions: economic inequality and social mobility. We will consider the conceptual and empirical associations between these measures, how each has changed over time, how the United States compares to other countries, and how different social environments (such as colleges, neighborhoods, and families) influence life chances within and across generations. We will also examine the challenges of producing research about these topics, focusing on both theoretical and methodological issues. (formerly SOAN 0240) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0252
Current
Social Psychology in Sociology
Course Description
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. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0261
Globalizing Gender
Course Description
Globalizing Gender
In this course we will explore gender and the process of gendering as a complex and evolving global phenomenon of the 21st century. The readings will focus on the politics and experience of gender and sexualities in various parts of the world, including India, Pakistan, Muslim minorities in South Asia, and among diasporic communities in Europe and the United States. Through lectures and small group discussions, we will critique and analyze themes including third gender, masculinity, changing practices of marriage, the politics of sexuality, and the impact of the women’s movement, and gay rights movement on existing understanding of gendered traditions. (formerly SOAN 0261) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0265
Genders and Sexualities
Course Description
Genders and Sexualities in the US
In this course we will explore and examine how genders and sexualities are constructed and the implications that such constructions have on individuals and societies. We will examine the theories, concepts, practices, and beliefs about sex, gender, sexuality, and sexual identity and explore how these concepts are different between different groups and how they have changed over time, specifically using an intersectional lens. Students will be encouraged to discuss intricacies of their own sexual and gender identities and how these statuses may impact their social status and their relationships with others and the larger society. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0266
Upcoming
Men and Masculinities
Course Description
Men and Masculinities
In this course we will consider the creation and performance of masculinities in the American context. We will ask how masculinity is constructed and how concepts of masculinity intersect with class, race, sexuality, and nation. Topics will include: The construction of idealized notions of masculinity in opposition to both femininities and subordinated masculinities; depictions of masculinity in the media; male socialization and boyhood; the workplace, family life and fatherhood; trans and gender queer masculinities; men’s health; men as perpetrators and victims of violence; and explicitly male-focused social movements and subcultures (such as pro-feminist men; Men’s Rights Activism; Pick-Up artists, Incels).
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0270
Sociology of Subcultures
Course Description
Sociology of Subcultures
Whether based on music and style (punk, emo, hip hop), physical activities (skateboarding, surfing, parkour) or pop culture fandom, networks of (young) people are regularly labelled as subcultures. This course will introduce students to the study of subcultures based on sociological and ethnographic materials. Who participates in subcultures and why? Who is excluded (on the basis of class, race, gender, sexuality)? Are subcultures forms of resistance, and what distinguishes them from social movements? How do forces such as globalization, technological development, and political transformation impact subcultures? These questions will guide our introductory look at examples and theories of subcultures.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0275
Current
Sociology Modern Antisemitism
Course Description
Sociology of Modern Antisemitism
In this course, we will explore modern antisemitism from a sociological perspective. Drawing on theories and empirical research from sociology and related fields, we will analyze the logic of antisemitic narratives, how antisemitism differs from other forms of racism, how antisemitism has changed after the Holocaust, whether antisemitism and anti-Zionism are related phenomena, and how prevalent antisemitic attitudes and discrimination remain today. We will also explore what role antisemitism plays in contemporary conspiracy theories and far-right movements but also whether there are forms of antisemitism specific to the Left. Overall, we will consider how to integrate an analysis of antisemitism into contemporary theories of racism, such as Intersectionality or Critical Whiteness. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0288
Deviance and Social Control
Course Description
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”. (formerly SOAN 0288) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0301
Upcoming
Soc Research Methods
Course Description
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 0105 or SOCI 0105) (formerly SOAN 03010) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0302
Upcoming
American Jewish Life
Course Description
American Jewish Life
In this course we will explore American Jewish life during a period of rapid change. We will begin with a survey of American Jews’ 20th century ethnic, racial, and religious identities. We will then focus on scenes of contemporary religious and communal innovation across a wide spectrum of American Jewish life, including case studies of Hasidic, Queer/progressive, Orthodox and Reform Jews, and Jews of Color. Throughout, we will examine how diverse Jewish collectivities incorporate broader American and global ideas, creating new amalgamations and contributing to social change. In the final unit, we will explore contentious issues related to Israel, antisemitism, gender, and American politics. Sources will include books, articles, films, and a study tour in New York City.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0305
Current
Social Theory
Course Description
Social 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? (SOCI 0105) (formerly SOAN 0305) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0307
Current
Soc Moves & Collective Actions
Course Description
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.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0313
White People
Course Description
White People
White people did not just appear out of nowhere. Instead, they are the result of a long history of structural and everyday racism that was always intertwined with class, sex, sexuality, and nation. We will explore how whiteness became a foundational category for citizenship in the US, especially after the Civil War when the Color Line was drawn through the legal, cultural, and spatial practices of Jim Crow. We will consider how "new immigrants" and even white "trash" became white primarily through the exclusion of Black Americans. Finally, we will look at the formation of whiteness today as a site of privilege, aggrieved entitlement, and violence. 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0314
Sociology of Heterosexuality
Course Description
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. (formerly SOAN 0314) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0315
Current
Writing Flash Sociology
Course Description
Writing the Sociological Imagination
In this writing course, students will create flash non-fiction that engages with sociology’s core focus: placing the personal in its social context. We will read texts that explore a variety of approaches to creatively explore the interplay of biography and history and focus on the range of craft elements these authors use. Students will write short (300-800 word) pieces that we will workshop together in class. The final product will be a portfolio of revised pieces from which students will select 2-3 pieces to share, if they choose, in a public reading for the Middlebury community.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0318
Theories of Celebrity
Course Description
Theories of Celebrity
In this course we will explore the cultural significance of the concept "celebrity" from a variety of theoretical perspectives. We will draw from a range of examples, including the history of Hollywood, the branding of sport stars, the rise of reality television, YouTube fame, and celebrity gossip, to examine the structures of power and inequality the celebrity phenomenon and its commodification embody. We will use theoretical concepts such as hegemony, the spectacle, mechanical reproduction, the panopticon, hyperreality, microcelebrity, postmodernity, and neoliberalism to analyze the extraordinary rise of a visual culture based on the production and consumption of celebrity. (SOCI 0105 or SOCI 0288) (Formerly SOAN 0281 and SOAN 0318) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0319
Idea of Drugs and Addiction
Course Description
The Idea of Drugs and Addiction
Drugs cause panic and social hysteria. We spend time talking about them and expend energy distinguishing between good and bad drugs and users. Movies, documentaries, literature, art, and television shows reflect this preoccupation with the use and misuse of drugs. In this course we will investigate the social significance of “drugs” as a cultural, rather than pharmacological, category. We will consider drugs and addiction as ideas that reflect concerns about the “self” in modernity. We will examine the panic surrounding drug use and addiction, our preoccupation with treatment, and our emphasis on sobriety. Overall, we will engage with the larger themes the idea of drugs and addiction raises: harm, exclusion, inequality, pleasure, freedom, desire, perfection, enlightenment, and control. 3hrs. lect./disc. (SOAN 0105 or SOCO 0105 or SOAN 0288 or SOCI 0288)
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0330
Higher Education and Society
Course Description
Higher Education and Society
Concerns about quality, value, and cost have raised doubts about whether higher education remains a pathway to opportunity. In this course we will consider these issues by reviewing research on the changing demographics of students, the evolving definition of “merit” in admissions, the challenges of assessing what students learn, and the relationship between student loan debt and economic inequality. We will also examine how college shapes later outcomes such as income, health, and family formation. Finally, we will discuss efforts to reform higher education and the potential for innovations like global expansion to reshape postsecondary schooling in the future. 3 hrs.lct. (Formerly SOCI 0430. Not open to students who have already taken SOCI 0430.)
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0338
The Long Civil Rights Movement
Course Description
The Long Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most significant political forces in American history, but too often we reduce it to its heyday in the 1950s and 60s. In this course we engage a much longer, more varied history of African American freedom struggles, from protests against segregated trains in the late 19th century to today’s #BlackLivesMatter. We use social movement theory to explore these cases, and use the cases to develop new theories of politics and social structure, paying close attention to the roles of organizations, resources, leadership, recruitment, commitment, values, ideology, culture, gender, and counter-movements. (SOCI 0105, or permission) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0356
Current
Significance of Race in the US
Course Description
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. (formerly SOAN 0356) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0362
Current
Digital Sociology
Course Description
Digital Sociology
We live in a digital world. We surf. We tweet. We swipe left. We create data. We become data. In this course we will consider how we use and are used by digital technologies. Digital spaces are neither neutral nor separate; they reflect and recreate the “real world.” We will critically examine today’s technologies and practices using central concepts in sociological theory, namely identity, inequality, and power. We will focus on four main topics: social media and productive labor; surveillance and privacy; stratification in access, use, and experience across race, class, gender, and sexuality; and online political organizing. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0364
Documentary Sociology
Course Description
Documentary Sociology
In this course we will consider how documentaries can bring the “sociological imagination” to life by using video and audio to link individual troubles with social issues and personal biography with historical context. Through readings and viewings, we will spend the first third of the class discussing the potential and limitations of the documentary form to illustrate sociological concepts. Students will develop a proposal for their own short video or audio documentary that they will then work on throughout the semester. Students must be willing to spend significant time outside of class on their documentary and to provide constructive feedback on each other’s developing projects in class. The course will culminate in a public presentation of the finished projects. No prior experience or coursework in video or audio production is required. (SOCI 0105; open to SOAN majors or by instructor approval) 3 hr. sem,
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0376
Politics of Identity
Course Description
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.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0385
Social Statistics
Course Description
Social Statistics
In this course we will learn the practical tools social sociologists and other scientists use to analyze data quantitatively. Topics will emphasize applications with statistical software and data from the General Social Survey and other datasets. We will explore methods to describe statistics about samples, apply the principles of probability to make predictions about populations, and estimate the significance of those predictions through inference and hypothesis testing. We will conclude with an introduction to linear regression. (Open only to majors or by Instructor Approval) (formerly SOAN 0385) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0402
Current
Sex and Society
Course Description
Sex and Society
In this seminar we will explore the pleasures, power, and problems of sex and will place sexuality in dynamic interaction with larger social issues. It is impossible to understand sexuality as separate from other dimensions of the human condition such as economics, politics, work, family, race, and gender. In particular, we will examine questions related to the science of sex, morality, monogamy, sex work, power and domination, desire and fantasy, and sexual politics. Overall, students will gain an understanding of sexuality as a social phenomenon. (formerly SOAN 0402) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
SOCI 0405
Pandemic Sociology
Course Description
Sociology of the Pandemic
In this seminar students will conduct original sociological research on the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also examine the ways that sociological theory and other materials—films, news reports, journalism, social media, etc—can help us understand the disruptive social, political, economic, and cultural changes brought on by the current crisis. Students will pursue their own projects or work in groups, and will work collectively as a class to help each other examine the sociological dimensions of the pandemic. Topics might include the impacts on labor and work issues, family dynamics, inequality, education, and the intersections with race, class, and gender. 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0420
Stuff: A Sociology of Things
Course Description
Stuff: A Sociology of Things
Stuff surrounds us. It fills our lives and makes our lives more fulfilling. We make it, we break it. We love it, we hate it. Then we throw it away. But stuff can just as easily make us and break us. Yet, sociology rarely pays much attention to things. In this course we will uncover and study the surprisingly active social lives of objects. Drawing broadly from work on material culture, cultural studies, consumption studies, and critical theory, we will explore the complex meanings of objects, the relationships people form with them, and the ways they shape how we think and what we do. Students will learn object-based research methods to investigate the social meanings and uses of everyday objects.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0464
Documentary Sociology
Course Description
Documentary Sociology
In this course we will consider how documentaries can bring the “sociological imagination” to life by using video and audio to link individual troubles with social issues and personal biography with historical context. Through readings and viewings, we will spend the first third of the class discussing the potential of the short documentary form to illustrate sociological concepts. Students will develop a proposal for their own short video documentary that they will then work on throughout the semester. Students must be willing to spend significant time outside of class on their documentary and to provide constructive feedback on each other’s developing projects in class. No prior experience or coursework in video or audio production is required. (SOCI 0105; open to SOCI majors or by instructor approval) (formerly SOCI 0364). 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0465
Upcoming
Sociology of Tourism
Course Description
Sociology of Tourism
We're all tourists now. The world's largest industry, tourism touches every part of the globe and every aspect of our lives. Tourism is a driving force of globalization, simultaneously a force of cultural differentiation and homogenization. As more and more places and people become economically dependent on tourism, tensions between tourists and locals increase, sparking protest and efforts to limit tourism in some area. In this course, we will use sociology to better understand tourism as well as using tourism to explore many different sociological theories. In this course we will critically study the social and cultural effects of tourism and tourists, with a focus on meaning making, tourist identities, inequalities and exploitation, the environmental effects, as well as reflecting our own, as well as Middlebury College's, place within tourism economies.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0478
Sociology of Punishment
Course Description
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. (SOAN 0105 or SOCI 0105 or SOAN 0288 or SOCI 0288 ) (formerly SOAN 0478) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0485
Topics Sociological Practice
Course Description
Topics in Sociological Practice
In this project-based course, we will use tools of data analysis and digital methods to explore sociological research topics. We will learn the fundamentals of coding and statistics in order to conduct original data analyses using publicly available data from sites such as the Opportunity Atlas, Social Explorer, the General Social Survey, and the Department of Education. We will reflect on how our computational and research practices relate to data ethics, principles of data visualization, and digital pedagogy. Students will build on their previous coursework to develop interactive exercises to analyze and interpret data which will be integrated throughout the department's curricula. Students will extensively use programs such as R, Shiny, and Datawrapper but no previous experience with these tools is required.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0497
Global Gays and Global Gayze
Course Description
Global Gays and the Global Gayze
In this course we will explore the ways that non-straight sexualities have been understood within a global context. Specifically, we will examine the various ways that non-straight sexualities have been constructed around the globe, the factors that have led to the development of various forms of sexual identifications, as well as the linkages between different cultures, nations, and locations that have influenced the ways that societal beliefs about non-straight sexualities, as well as non-straight sexual “identities,” have come to be influenced through such connections. (Open to majors, others by waiver.) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 0500
Current
Upcoming
Advanced Individual Study
Course Description
Prior to registering for SOCI 0500, a student must enlist the support of a faculty advisor from the Department of Sociology. (Open to Majors only) (Approval Required)
Terms Taught
SOCI 0700
Current
Upcoming
One-Semester Project
Course Description
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.
Terms Taught
SOCI 0710
Current
Upcoming
Multi-Semester Senior Project
Course Description
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.
Terms Taught
SOCI 1002
Race & Racism in Vermont
Course Description
Race and Racism in Vermont: A Sociohistorical Exploration
In this course, we will trace the racial history of Vermont from its founding, through the eugenics movement in the early 20th century, and into the current era of racially-biased policing and incarceration. Drawing on Black and Indigenous scholars (DuBois, Wynter, Byrd), students will examine the articulation between local/global manifestation of race, and investigate how anti-indigeneity, anti-blackness and ableism guided the sociohistorical construction of whiteness in Vermont. Students will grapple with pressing questions: How was/is ‘race’ mobilized by the State? Are racially biased policing/incarceration an afterlife of policies of erasure? This class will culminate in a critical engagement with ways reparation and reconciliation may or may not prevent deep-rooted structures from continuing to reproduce discriminations in Vermont.
Mabrouka M’Barek is a PhD student in sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research, in North America, Europe and North Africa focuses on the longue durée of racial regimes and the long-lasting impacts of colonialism and chattel slavery./
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 1005
Writing Flash Sociology
Course Description
Writing the Sociological Imagination
In this writing course, students will create flash non-fiction that engages with sociology’s core focus: placing the personal in its social context. We will read texts that explore a variety of approaches to creatively explore the interplay of biography and history and focus on the range of craft elements these authors use. Students will write short (300-800 word) pieces that we will workshop together in class. The final product will be a portfolio of revised pieces from which students will select 2-3 pieces to share, if they choose, in a public reading for the Middlebury community.
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 1010
Upcoming
The AI Gourmet
Course Description
The AI Gourmet: A Recipe for the Future
In this course, students will critically assess whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools democratize access to professional knowledge by generating a cookbook of recipes using AI-powered chatbots. During the activity, students will learn how AI tools generate content, ways in which AI tools enhance creativity and exploration, the pitfalls of AI tools (including bias, discrimination, and copyright violations), and why AI tools generate anxiety and fear yet also promise hope for a better future.
Sarika Sharma is an Assistant Teaching Professor of First-Year Seminar. She teaches courses in organizational behavior and institutional change./
Terms Taught
Requirements
SOCI 1230
Upcoming
DataScience Across Disciplines
Course Description
Data Science Across Disciplines
In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning, large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Biology, Geography, History, Mathematics/Statistics and Sociology. This course will use the R programming language. No prior experience with R is necessary.
BIOL 1230: Students enrolled in Professor Casey’s (Biology) afternoon section will use the tools of data science to investigate the drivers of tick abundance and tick-borne disease risk. To do this students will draw from a nation-wide ecological database.
GEOG 1230: In this section, we will investigate human vulnerability to natural hazards in the United States using location-based text data about hurricane and flood disasters from social media. We will analyze data qualitatively, temporally, and spatially to gain insights into the human experience of previous disasters and disaster response. We will present findings using spatial data visualizations with the aim of informing future disaster preparedness and resilience.
HIST 1230: In U.S. history, racial differences and discrimination have powerfully shaped who benefited from land and farm ownership. How can historians use data to understand the history of race and farming? Students will wrangle county- and state-level data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture from 1840-1912 to create visualizations and apps that allow us to find patterns in the history of race and land, to discover new questions we might not know to ask, and to create tools to better reveal connections between race, land, and farming for a general audience.
STAT 1230: In this course students will dive into the world of data science by focusing on invasive species monitoring data. Early detection is crucial to controlling many invasive species; however, there is a knowledge gap regarding the sampling effort needed to detect the invader early. In this course, we will work with decades of invasive species monitoring data collected across the United States to better understand how environmental variables play a role in the sampling effort required to detect invasive species. Students will gain experience in the entire data science pipeline, but the primary focus will be on data scraping, data visualization, and communication of data-based results to scientists and policymakers.
SOCI 1230: Do sports fans care about climate change? Can sports communication be used to engage audiences on environmental sustainability? In this section of the course, students will use the tools of data science to examine whether interest in sports is associated with climate change knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, as well as other political opinions. Participants will use survey data to produce visualizations and exploratory analyses about the relationship between sports fandom and attitudes about environmental sustainability.
Terms Taught
Requirements