Linus Owens

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.