2014-2015 Catalog

SOCI 20001. Sociological Methods. 100 Units.

This course introduces the philosophy and practice of social research. Working from the idea that the research process is fundamentally a critical dialogue, we begin by exploring questions of causality and the epistemology of social research. Then we turn to examine the basic practices that are a component of all methods of social research through an in-depth examination of interviews, ethnography, surveys, and archival research. Assignments culminate in a research proposal for the BA thesis.

Instructor(s): C.S. Lee     Terms Offered: Winter

SOCI 20002. Social Structure and Change. 100 Units.

This course introduces the sociological study of individuals in the society. We study how individual actions are shaped by their relation to and position in the social structure, while contributing to this structure and its change. A central preoccupation is to articulate the linkage between the individual/micro level and the social/macro level. We also discuss the properties of a stratified social fabric. We focus on sociological approaches to the American society, its position in the international structure, and its principal dimensions (i.e., race and ethnicity, age, gender, social class).

Instructor(s): M. Garrido     Terms Offered: Winter

SOCI 20004. Statistical Methods of Research. 100 Units.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to widely used quantitative methods in sociology and related social sciences. Topics include analysis of variance and multiple regression, considered as they are used by practicing social scientists.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Winter; Not offered 2014-15
Note(s): Students are expected to attend two lectures and one lab per week. UG Sociology majors and Sociology PhD students only. Others by consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30004

SOCI 20005. Sociological Theory. 100 Units.

Building on the works of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, and other classical theorists, this course addresses the role of theory in sociology. In addition to classic texts, readings explore both contemporary theoretical projects and the implications of theory for empirical research.

Instructor(s): J. Martin     Terms Offered: Spring
Note(s): Required of students who are majoring in Sociology.

SOCI 20101. Organizational Analysis. 100 Units.

This course is a systematic introduction to theoretical and empirical work on organizations broadly conceived (e.g., public and private economic organizations, governmental organizations, prisons, professional and voluntary associations, health-care organizations). Topics include intraorganizational questions about organizational goals and effectiveness, communication, authority, and decision making. Using recent developments in market, political economy, and neoinstitutional theories, we explore organizational change and interorganizational relationships for their implications in understanding social change in modern societies.

Instructor(s): E. Laumann     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PBPL 23000,SOCI 30101

SOCI 20102. Social Change. 100 Units.

This course presents a general overview of causal processes of macro-institutional level social changes. It considers a variety of types of cross-national, over-time changes such as economic growth, bureaucratization, revolutions, democratization, spread of cultural and institutional norms, deindustrialization, globalization and development of welfare states. It also covers various forms of planned changes in oppositional social movements (civil rights, environmental, women’s, and labor movements).

Instructor(s): C. Lee, D. Zhao     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30102

SOCI 20103. Social Stratification. 100 Units.

Social stratification is the unequal distribution of the goods that members of a society value (e.g., earnings, income, authority, political power, status, prestige). This course introduces various sociological perspectives about stratification. We look at major patterns of inequality throughout human history, how they vary across countries, how they are formed and maintained, how they come to be seen as legitimate and desirable, and how they affect the lives of individuals within a society. The readings incorporate classical theoretical statements, contemporary debates, and recent empirical evidence.

Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30103

SOCI 20104. Urban Structure and Process. 100 Units.

This course reviews competing theories of urban development, especially their ability to explain the changing nature of cities under the impact of advanced industrialism. Analysis includes a consideration of emerging metropolitan regions, the microstructure of local neighborhoods, and the limitations of the past U.S. experience as a way of developing worldwide urban policy.

Instructor(s): F. Stuart     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 20104,GEOG 22700,GEOG 32700,SOCI 30104,SOSC 25100

SOCI 20105. Educational Organization and Social Inequality. 100 Units.

This course reviews the major theoretical approaches to the organizational analysis of school districts, schools, and classrooms and to the relationship between education and social stratification. It gives particular attention to ways in which the organization of education affects students' life chances.

Instructor(s): C. Bidwell, S. Stoelinga     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30105,PPHA 39300

SOCI 20106. Political Sociology. 100 Units.

Political sociology explores how social processes shape outcomes within formal political institutions as well as the politics that occurs outside of recognized governing arrangements in the family, civic associations, social networks, and social movements, all of which may feed back into electoral, legislative, or administrative politics. The course will address how sociological analysis illuminates processes of political interaction and mobilization, the sources of political conflict and participation, the adoption and implementation of public policy, and the organization of political regimes whether level, national, or transnational.

Instructor(s): E. Clemens     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences
Equivalent Course(s): ENST 23500,PBPL 23600,SOCI 30106

SOCI 20107. Sociology of Human Sexuality. 100 Units.

After briefly reviewing several biological and psychological approaches to human sexuality as points of comparison, this course explores the sociological perspective on sexual conduct and its associated beliefs and consequences for individuals and society. Substantive topics include gender relations; life-course perspectives on sexual conduct in youth, adolescence, and adulthood; social epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (e.g., AIDS); sexual partner choice and turnover; and the incidence/prevalence of selected sexual practices.

Instructor(s): E. Laumann     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Introductory social sciences course
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 27100,SOCI 30107

SOCI 20111. Survey Analysis I. 100 Units.

This course covers how to analyze and write up previously collected survey data: the basic logic of multivariate causal reasoning and its application to OLS regression. We emphasize practice in writing. This is not a course in sampling methods.

Instructor(s): J. Davis     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30111

SOCI 20118. Survey Research Overview. 100 Units.

The course provides an overview of interview-based data collection methods. Each student must develop a research question to guide their research design. Students get an overview of different interview-based data collection methods (focus groups, key-informant interviews, large-N sample surveys), how to sample and design a questionnaire or interview guide for their project, and the nuts and bolts of actual recruitment, receipt control and survey administration. The instructor provides feedback for proposed elements of each student's research plan through weekly assignments. The final paper is a research proposal that outlines a plan for research to address the student's research question.

Instructor(s): M. Van Haitsma     Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter
Equivalent Course(s): MAPS 30900,SOCI 30118,SOSC 20200,SOSC 30900,SSAD 53200

SOCI 20123. The Family. 100 Units.

Everyone is a member of a family. The family has been one of the most important social institutions in every society throughout history. But the shape that families take, the functions they fill, and the problems they face vary historically and cross-culturally. So families in Sweden look different from and act differently than families in Saudi Arabia or Brazil. And American families today differ dramatically from a century ago. This course looks at families from a sociological perspective, focusing on the family as a social group, the institution of the family, and differences in families within and across societies. We consider how public policies—such as those aiding needy families (TANF) and recognizing same-sex marriage—affect families and how family members work to influence public policies. We draw on contemporary media representations of families and their challenges in order to evaluate sociological theories. The course follows lecture/discussion format. Students are responsible for three one-page papers on topics drawn from the course, a mid-term, and a final. Prerequisites include one or more general introductory courses in sociology or a related social science or consent of the instructor.

Instructor(s): L. Waite     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): At least one prior basic course in sociology or related social science, or consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 20100

SOCI 20140. Qualitative Field Methods. 100 Units.

This course introduces techniques of, and approaches to, ethnographic field research. We emphasize quality of attention and awareness of perspective as foundational aspects of the craft. Students conduct research at a site, compose and share field notes, and produce a final paper distilling sociological insight from the fieldwork.

Instructor(s): O. McRoberts     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 20140

SOCI 20150. Consumption. 100 Units.

The modern period was associated with industrial production, class society, rationalization, disenchantment, the welfare state, and the belief in salvation by society. Current societies are characterized by a culture of consumption; consumption is central to lifestyles and identity, it is instantiated in our technological reality and the complex of advertising media, structures of wanting and shopping. Starting from the question “why do we want things” we will discuss theories and empirical studies that focus on consumption and identity formation; on shopping and the consumption of symbolic signs; on consumption as linked to the re-enchantment of modernity; as a process of distinction and of the globalization of frames; and as related to time and information. The course is built around approaches that complement the “productionist” focus of the social sciences. Students interested in economic sociology and anthropology can supplement this course by one on Markets and Money.

Instructor(s): K. Knorr Cetina     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 25401,ANTH 35401,SOCI 30150

SOCI 20157. Mathematical Models. 100 Units.

This course examines mathematical models and related analyses of social action, emphasizing a rational-choice perspective. About half the lectures focus on models of collective action, power, and exchange as developed by Coleman, Bonacich, Marsden, and Yamaguchi. Then the course examines models of choice over the life course, including rational and social choice models of marriage, births, friendship networks, occupations, and divorce.  Both behavioral and analytical models are surveyed.

Instructor(s): K. Yamaguchi     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30157

SOCI 20175. The Sociology of Deviant Behavior. 100 Units.

This course examines how distinctions between "normal" and "deviant" are created, and how these labels shift historically, culturally, and politically. We analyze the construction of social problems and moral panics (e.g., smoking, "satanic" daycares, obesity) to explore how various moral entrepreneurs shape what some sociologists call a "culture of fear." Additionally, we investigate the impact on individuals of being labeled "deviant" either voluntarily or involuntarily, as a way of illustrating how both social control and social change operate in society.

Instructor(s): K. Schilt     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 20170

SOCI 20179. Labor Force and Employment. 100 Units.

This course introduces key concepts, methods, and sources of information for understanding the structure of work and the organization of workers in the United States and other industrialized nations. We survey social science approaches to answering key questions about work and employment, including: What is the labor force? What determines the supply of workers? How is work organized into jobs, occupations, careers, and industries? What, if anything, happened to unions? How much money do workers earn and why? What is the effect of work on health? How do workers and employers find each other? Who is unemployed? What are the employment effects of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion?

Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30179

SOCI 20191. Social Change in the United States. 100 Units.

This course provides students with concepts, facts, and methods for understanding the social structure of the contemporary United States, recent changes in the U.S. social structure, survey data for measuring social structure and social change in contemporary industrial societies, and data analysis methods for distinguishing different types of change. This course is taught by traditional and nontraditional methods: traditional by a combination of readings, lectures, and discussions; and nontraditional by in-class, "live" statistical analysis of the cumulative file (1972–2004) of the NORC General Social Surveys (GSS).

Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg     Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Two prior sociology courses or consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30191

SOCI 20192. The Effects of Schooling. 100 Units.

From at least the Renaissance until some time around the middle of the twentieth century, social class was the pre-eminent, generalized determinant of life chances in European and, eventually, American societies. Social class had great effect on one's social standing; economic well-being; political power; access to knowledge; and even longevity, health, and height. In that time, there was hardly an aspect of life that was not profoundly influenced by social class. In the ensuing period, the effects of social class have receded greatly, and perhaps have even vanished. In their place formal schooling has become the great generalized influence over who gets access to the desiderata of social life, including food, shelter, political power, and medical care. So it is that schooling is sociologically interesting for reasons that go well beyond education. The purpose of this course is to review what is known about the long-term effects of schooling.

Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30192

SOCI 20208. Internet and Society. 100 Units.

The course explores the Internet and its influence on modern life. We consider the history, growth and structure of the Internet, email and the World Wide Web; the meaning and consequence of the "digital divide" between rich and poor; online identities and intimacy; social media and community; political participation and polarization; media sharing, mash-ups and cultural diversity; the knowledge economy, online markets and the evolution of intellectual property; immersive and virtual reality; information overload; searching, surfing and distributed intelligence on the Internet. The course surveys a wide variety of arguments about these issues, generates new questions and theories about Internet and society, and interrogates them all in discussion and through online investigation and experiments.

Instructor(s): J. Evans     Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30208

SOCI 20215. Urban Health. 100 Units.

This course examines health status, healthcare access, and healthcare service delivery in the urban environment. It draws on historic and contemporary research in urban sociology to frame these discussions and uses data from the City of Chicago to illustrate themes. Specific attention is given to race and ethnic differences in disease trajectories and neighborhood-level social and institutional resources. The course also explores both local and national policy implications.

Instructor(s): K. Cagney     Terms Offered: Spring

SOCI 20219. Urban Ethnography. 100 Units.

The everyday experiences and cultural contours of urban life have long been a focal point for sociological study. Through weekly readings and discussion of influential texts, this course surveys the development of urban ethnography from the First Chicago School of the early twentieth century through current-day research. We will explore the substantive issues that have historically shaped urban life—from community dynamics to poverty to social control—as well as the epistemological and methodological concerns faced by those who study urban populations. The aim is to ground students in the foundational literature while preparing them to conduct their own urban ethnographies in the future.

Instructor(s): F. Stuart     Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Third- and fourth-year undergraduates only
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30219

SOCI 20221. Crime and the City. 100 Units.

Cities have long been viewed as the natural home of crime, deviance, vice, and immorality. This course makes sociological sense of this relationship, examining how cities “breed,” “need,” and “fight” these stereotypical urban ills. Students will explore these topics from a number of perspectives, including criminological theory, up-close accounts of the drug economy, and portraits of everyday life in today’s hyper-policed ghettos. Through a series of field assignments, students utilize theories and concepts from the course to analyze issues of deviance, crime, and criminal justice in Chicago.

Instructor(s): F. Stuart     Terms Offered: Autumn

SOCI 20222. Philanthropy: Private Acts and Public Goods. 100 Units.

Under what conditions do philanthropy and other forms of private action come to be significant elements of the provision of public goods? What are the consequences of organizing society in this way? In this course, we will address the social role of philanthropy, its historical development as a significant economic and political institution, and the place of philanthropy in contemporary public policy and civic projects.

Instructor(s): E. Clemens     Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): Completion of at least 2 quarters of SOSC
Equivalent Course(s): PBPL 27070

SOCI 20226. Urban Schools and Communities. 100 Units.

This course explores the intersection of urban schools and community, with a focus on the evolution of urban communities, families, and the organization of schools. It emphasizes historical, anthropological, and sociological perspectives as we explore questions about the purpose and history of public schools, and factors that influence the character of school structure and organization in urban contexts, such as poverty, segregation, student mobility, etc. The topics covered provide essential intellectual perspectives on the history, work, and complexities of urban schools with a particular focus on the communities that surround them.

Instructor(s): S. Stoelinga     Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 27821,PBPL 27821

SOCI 20233. Race in Contemporary American Society. 100 Units.

This survey course in the sociology of race offers a socio-historical investigation of race in American society. We will examine issues of race, ethnic and immigrant settlement in the United States. Also, we shall explore the classic and contemporary literature on race and inter-group dynamics. Our investigative tools will include an analysis of primary and secondary sources, multimedia materials, photographic images, and journaling. While our survey will be broad, we will treat Chicago and its environs as a case study to comprehend the racial, ethnic, and political challenges in the growth and development of a city.

Instructor(s): S. Hicks-Bartlett     Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30233

SOCI 28062. American Families: Inequality and Change. 100 Units.

In the United States, families have served as a focal institution through which and within which race, class, gender, and sexual inequality are reproduced. And yet, American families have undergone a  tremendous amount of change representing a departure from the traditional patriarchal-nuclear family model (i.e., two middle-class, married, heterosexual, same-race parents and their biological children) toward family forms that transgress the traditionalist ideal in almost every regard, including egalitarian couples, voluntarily-childless couples, single-parent households, cohabitating couples, multiracial families, same-sex families, adoptive families, and so on. We examine families and family change in American society from a sociological perspective, with an emphasis on the important role of families in perpetuating (and potentially challenging) inequality regimes. The course includes both lecture and discussion.

Instructor(s): S. Perry     Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): One or more general introductory courses in sociology or a related social science, or consent of instructor

SOCI 28063. Contentious Collective Action. 100 Units.

Why and how do human beings rebel? This course provides an introduction to contentious collective action, including social movements, revolutions, and various other forms of contention in history. By integrating previously separate theories, this course enables students to analyze these phenomena in novel lens. Readings are primarily selected from sociology, as well as from history, anthropology, and political science, in order to help students recombine the existing knowledge for better understanding people's contentions.

Instructor(s): Zhang, Yang     Terms Offered: Winter

SOCI 28064. Gender and Sexuality in the Family. 100 Units.

This course introduces empirical findings on gendered and sexual experiences in contemporary family life as a means of understanding gender and sexuality as complex social processes that structure our everyday live. We study both the ways families reflect broader gender and sexual structures and inequalities and how they create and perpetuate them. Specific areas of family life we explore through a gender and sexualities lens include cohabitation and marriage, reproduction and parenting, domestic and emotional labor, and sexual desires and practices.

Instructor(s): Ocobock, Abigail     Terms Offered: Spring

SOCI 29997. Readings in Sociology. 100 Units.

Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. With consent of instructor, students may take this course for P/F grading if it is not being used to meet program requirements.

Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor and program chair.

SOCI 29998. Sociology BA Thesis Seminar. 100 Units.

This required yearlong course is a forum for students who are majoring in sociology to present their BA papers. Students attend the seminar in Spring Quarter of their third year and in Autumn and Winter Quarters of their fourth year. They may enroll during any one of these quarters, but must attend all three. They submit a completed thesis during Spring Quarter of their fourth year. Students who are not graduating in June should participate in three quarters of the senior seminar in the twelve months before graduation. Students who plan to study abroad during Spring Quarter of their third year should consult with the Undergraduate Program Chair well in advance of their trip. For a general statement about the BA paper, students should obtain the brochure Undergraduate Program in Sociology in the departmental office.

Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Prerequisite(s): Open only to students who are majoring in sociology.
Note(s): Must be taken for a quality grade.

SOCI 29999. BA Honors Paper. 100 Units.

Open only to students who wish to be considered for honors. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Must be taken for a quality grade.

Terms Offered: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor and program chair.