Classes

Sociology 98M: Social Class

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2023

Class, one of the most basic analytical concepts in sociology, structures our social world in fundamental ways. Nevertheless, the extent to which social class is salient to people, and the specific content of class-based identities and class cultures, varies widely. This course is rooted in a comparison of the working class versus professionals and the upper middle class. The focus is on the United States while maintaining a comparative perspective on other national, historical, and...

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Sociology 1136: Work and Culture

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2022

This course looks at work and culture from both the bottom-up and the top-down.  What does work mean from the perspective of workers versus employers—and when do these perspectives align or diverge?  Under what circumstances are work cultures a source of identity, meaning, and fulfillment?  In what contexts are they used for control and domination?  We will examine the varieties of culture at work by comparing corporate culture, craft culture, and caring labor.  The course will then turn to contemporary forms of work, which are often characterized by flexibility...

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Sociology E-121: Work, Power, and Flexible Capitalism

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2022

This course explores the experience of work in the contemporary political economy with an eye toward both its liberating and oppressive potential. How do different forms of work affect our life circumstances, personalities, and connections to each other? What is meaningful work? In examining the labor process under modern capitalism we will focus on both its structural aspects as well as on culture, ideology, and identity. Our approach will be rooted in the crucial question of...

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Sociology 1137: Political Sociology

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2021

 

This course is about political power: who has it, how it is used, and how it can change over time.  The course begins by outlining key concepts and theories along with an examination of political power in the neoliberal state.  What does democracy, public policy, and political participation look like in this neoliberal context?  We will then move on to explore how power operates through state institutions with an analysis of both the welfare state and the carceral state.  Should the welfare state be understood as a...

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Sociology 1026: Global Social Change

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2020

This course explores the development of global capitalism with a focus on changing relationships between markets, states, and civil societies. Questions of power and inequality will be central to our approach. We will begin from a macro political economy perspective, exploring global social change through the lens of world-system theory, neoliberalism, deindustrialization, and “flexible accumulation.” We will then examine resistance to global capitalism in local contexts around the globe. We...

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Social Studies 98le: Social Movements and Social Change

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2009

Under what circumstances do people pursue social change collectively instead of facing their problems in isolation?  How do social movements arise?  And what are their consequences?  Throughout this course we will be attentive to the variety of research agendas on the topic of social movements and social change, and the various kinds of data that are brought to bear on these questions.  We will approach the topic broadly, making connections between a variety of research programs on social movements, revolutions, and collective action.  At the same time, we will...

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