Faculty of the Department of Sociology
Mary C. Brinton, Reischauer Institute Professor of Sociology (Chair)Laura L. Adams, Lecturer on Sociology
Robyn E. Angley, Lecturer on Sociology
Jason Beckfield, Professor of Sociology
Lawrence D. Bobo, W. E. B. Du Bois Professor of the Social Sciences
Bart Bonikowski, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Nicholas A. Christakis, Professor of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Medical Sociology in the Faculty of Medicine
Matthew Stephen Desmond, Assistant Professor of Sociology and of Social Studies (on leave spring term)
Frank Dobbin, Professor of Sociology (Director of Graduate Studies)
Filiz Garip, Associate Professor of Sociology
Justin Gest, Lecturer on Government and on Sociology
Margaret M. Gough, Lecturer on Sociology
Patrick Hamm, Lecturer on Sociology
Seth Donal Hannah, Lecturer on Sociology
Ben Herzog, Lecturer on Sociology
Tamara Kay, Associate Professor of Sociology
Alexandra Achen Killewald, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Michèle Lamont, Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies and Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies
Kimberlyn Rachael Leary, Lecturer on Sociology; Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry (Medical School)
David Luberoff, Visiting Lecturer on Sociology, Kennedy School of Government (Kennedy School)
Peter V. Marsden, Edith and Benjamin Geisinger Professor of Sociology, Harvard College Professor, Dean of Social Science
Rachel Meyer, Lecturer on Sociology (Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies)
Timothy Nelson, Lecturer on Sociology (Kennedy School)
Daniel T. O’Brien, Lecturer on Sociology
Orlando Patterson, John Cowles Professor of Sociology
Robert J. Sampson, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences
Adam B. Seligman, Visiting Professor of Sociology
Theda Skocpol, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology
Jocelyn Viterna, Associate Professor of Sociology
Joshua Wakeham, College Fellow in the Department of Sociology
Mary C. Waters, M. E. Zukerman Professor of Sociology (Director of Undergraduate Studies-spring term)
Cory Theodore Way, Lecturer on Sociology
Bruce Western, Professor of Sociology
Martin K. Whyte, John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and of Sociology (on leave spring term)
William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor
Christopher Winship, Diker-Tishman Professor of Sociology (Director of Undergraduate Studies-fall term) (on leave spring term)
Other Faculty Offering Instruction in the Department of Sociology
Jim Bildner, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy (Kennedy School)Kathryn Edin, Professor of Public Policy and Management at the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Kennedy School)
Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good, Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine (Medical School)
Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Kennedy School)
Christopher Jencks, Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy at the John F Kennedy School of Government (Kennedy School)
Kimberlyn Rachael Leary, Lecturer on Sociology; Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry (Medical School)
Christine Webb Letts, Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (Kennedy School)
Stanley Lieberson, Abbott Lawrence Lowell Professor of Sociology, Emeritus
Christopher Marquis, Associate Professor (Business School)
Mary Ruggie, Adjunct Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School (Kennedy School)
Introductory Courses
[Sociology 10. Introduction to Sociology]Catalog Number: 4814
Instructor to be determined
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduces students to the main objects and goals of Sociology—both for sociology concentrators and curious non-concentrators. Explores the theories of classical authors in the history of sociology (such as Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and beyond). Examines major topics in sociological research (including but not limited to social problems, deviance, inequality, social change, culture, education, social interaction).
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
Sociology 24. Introduction to Social Inequality
Catalog Number: 9417
Jason Beckfield
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 1; Th., at 2; M., at 1; M., at 2. EXAM GROUP: 15
Examines individual and structural explanations for the generation and maintenance of inequality in the US with comparisons to other societies. The consequences of inequality for individuals and groups are studied.
Note: May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core requirement for Social Analysis.
Sociology 25. Introduction to the Sociology of Organizations
Catalog Number: 3609
Frank Dobbin
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 11; . EXAM GROUP: 4
Introduces the sociological study of formal organizations. Surveys basic concepts, emphases, and approaches. Attention given to processes within organizations, as well as to relationships between organizations and their environments. Topics include bureaucracy, leadership and power in organizations, interorganizational networks, and coordination among organizations.
Note: May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Social Analysis.
*Sociology 38. Visualizing Global Social Problems and Social Change in Documentary Photography and Film - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 63298 Enrollment: Limited to 80.
Tamara Kay
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Explores how global social problems (including poverty and inequality, urbanization, migration, globalized labor, human rights, among other issues) are constructed and framed by sociologists and by documentary photographers and filmmakers. Examines history of documentary film and photography in relationship to politics and the development of concerns in sociology with inequality and social justice. Looks at how individual documentarians, non-profit organizations and social movements use film and photography to further their goals and causes. A variety of documentary film and photography genres such as historical, biographical, ethnographic, satire, and political expose will be examined and compared to processes by which filmmakers and photographers engage in social documentation.
Sociology 43. Social Interaction
Catalog Number: 9625
Timothy Nelson (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Examines social interactions in public and semi-public spaces as well as small-group dynamics. We will analyze everyday activities like conversations and parties as well as more extreme forms like demonstrations and riots. Emphasizes outside observation of various kinds and components of social interaction. The University’s residence halls, classrooms, activity groups and final clubs will serve as our laboratory. Students will record their observations and analyses in journal entries.
Note: May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Social Analysis
Cross-listed Courses
Psychology 15. Social Psychology[Societies of the World 21 (formerly Foreign Cultures 63). China’s Two Social Revolutions]
Societies of the World 34 (formerly Foreign Cultures 46). The Caribbean: Globalization, Socio-Economic Development & Cultural Adaptation
Societies of the World 44. Human Trafficking, Slavery and Abolition in the Modern World
[United States in the World 24 (formerly Sociology 19). Reinventing Boston: The Changing American City]
United States in the World 31 (formerly Social Analysis 54). American Society and Public Policy
Tutorials
*Sociology 91r. Supervised Reading and ResearchCatalog Number: 4449
Rachel Meyer and members of the Department
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Individual work in sociology under the supervision of teaching staff in the department. A graded supervised course of reading and research on a topic not covered by regular courses of instruction.
Note: Students negotiate topics on their own. A final paper must be filed in the Sociology undergraduate office.
*Sociology 95. Research for Nonprofits
Catalog Number: 0136 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Joshua Wakeham
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1.
Supports students in carrying out a research project for a nonprofit or volunteer organization of their own choice. Examines theories and practices of the nonprofit sector and research methods. Course combines guest speakers, case work, discussion, and student project presentations.
Note: Required first meeting. Both concentrators and non-concentrators are welcome to apply.
Sociology 97. Tutorial in Sociological Theory
Catalog Number: 5079
Rachel Meyer
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be Arranged.
Provides a critical understanding of selected classical and contemporary theorists, including Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Parsons, Merton, Polanyi, Granovetter, Goffman, Foucault, Bourdieu and others. The tutorial explores conceptualizations of society and modernity, the relationship between theory and empirical analysis, and the historical contexts in which theories emerge.
Note: Required of concentrators, ordinarily sophomores, and secondary concentrators. Required first organizational meeting on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 4-5pm, WJH 105 for the fall semester. Required first organizational meeting on Monday, January 28, 2013, 4-5pm, (basement of William James Hall).
*Sociology 99. Senior Tutorial
Catalog Number: 6237
Rachel Meyer and members of the Department
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Supervision of theses or other honors projects.
Note: Limited to concentrators, ordinarily seniors. In addition, students of Sociology 99 may also participate in an optional, regularly scheduled weekly group seminar for consultation and discussion about choice of problems, possible data, and research procedures.
Prerequisite: Sociology 98.
Sociology 98. Junior Tutorials
Small group research projects centered on common topics that vary by seminar, term, and year.[*Sociology 98B. Race and Crime]
Catalog Number: 75945 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Instructor to be determined
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
New research on how and why criminal justice policy in the US has such a powerfully differential negative impact on African American communities.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97.
*Sociology 98Bc. The Logic of Cultural Comparison
Catalog Number: 87077 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Bart Bonikowski
Half course (fall term). Th., 11–1.
In the context of recent theoretical advances in cultural sociology, the course considers how culture can be systematically compared across populations. While carrying out independent empirical studies, students will navigate the central problems associated with comparative cultural research: defining and measuring cultural phenomena, identifying appropriate units of cultural variation, understanding between- and within-unit heterogeneity, and demonstrating culture’s causal effects.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98Ga. Understanding Mexican Migration Flows to the US
Catalog Number: 67322 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Filiz Garip
Half course (spring term). M., 4–6.
This tutorial guides students through the preparation of an empirical research paper that explores the labor migration of workers from Mexico to the United States using quantitative data and methods.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97.
*Sociology 98Gb. Family, Work, and Inequality - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 86469 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Margaret M. Gough
Half course (spring term). Th., 11–1.
This course examines variation in the relationships between work and family by race and ethnicity, class, gender, and family structure. Over the course of the term we will examine how work-family relationships have evolved, how they have been affected by the economic downturn, and the potential implications of these changes for inequality. The goal of the course is to gain a stronger understanding of a particular segment of the work-family literature through a semester long research project. Students will conduct independent empirical research on a topic of interest within the study of work and family using quantitative methods and data.
[*Sociology 98H. Immigration, Politics, and Movements]
Catalog Number: 91052 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
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Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines immigrant integration in the political sphere. Explores immigrant mobilization and participation in electoral and non-electoral politics.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97.
*Sociology 98Ha. Sociology of Health
Catalog Number: 57732 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Seth Donal Hannah
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3.
Examines how culture, politics, and finance "matters" in health care through an exploration of the diverse community health centers and major medical centers throughout greater Boston. Students will enhance their qualitative research skills through ethnographic observation, mapping, and historical and documentary analysis of the services provided and populations served in various clinical settings.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
*Sociology 98K. Big Bird Goes to China: Organizations, Culture, and Globalization
Catalog Number: 47313 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Tamara Kay
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3.
Examines how different kinds of organizations and institutions work internationally and develop relationships with international partners and counterparts.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97.
[*Sociology 98Kc. Religion in America] - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 86188 Enrollment: Limited to 8.
Alexandra Achen Killewald
Half course (spring term). Tu., at 10.
The American religious terrain is complex and contested. For many Americans, matters of religious faith, identity, and practice are intertwined, but not synonymous. In this tutorial, students will prepare an empirical research paper that explores a topic of their choosing related to religion in contemporary America, using quantitative data and methods.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98L. Racism and Anti-Racism in Comparative Perspective
Catalog Number: 54637 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Michèle Lamont
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3.
Students will familiarize themselves with the literatures on racism and anti-racism, as well as racial identity and boundaries and design their own qualitative research project.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology junior concentrators.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98M. Social Class in the United States: Identity, Culture, and Consciousness
Catalog Number: 18222 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Rachel Meyer
Half course (spring term). W., 11–1.
This course will review a variety of empirical and theoretical perspectives on social class in the United States with a focus on class-based identities and class consciousness.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
[*Sociology 98Sa. The Politics and Culture of Food]
Catalog Number: 73962 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Kyoko Sato
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4.
This course will examine how politics and culture intersect in food and eating practices. Through an exploration of literature on food, students will learn some of the key theoretical concepts in cultural sociology, as well as various analytical and methodological approaches. They will carry out an independent or group research project.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
*Sociology 98Va. Development in Theory and Practice - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 12362
Jocelyn Viterna
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Why are some societies wealthier, healthier, and more highly educated than others? And how might we improve the lives of those individuals with the fewest opportunities? The purpose of this course is to investigate whether and how scholarly theories of development map onto the real world practices of development organizations (state development offices, intergovernmental agencies, not-for-profit organizations) and vice versa. Readings in development sociology will be interspersed with individual student analyses of specific development organizations across a range of issues including (but not limited to) gender, politics, the environment, education, health care, and the economy.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
[*Sociology 98Wb. Race, Poverty, and Family Justice]
Catalog Number: 24423 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Kaia Stern
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
This course meets inside Framingham prison and surveys some of the key topics in urban sociology, focusing on major social problems in American cities. With particular attention to factors associated with crime, such as poverty, race, education, gender and employment, the course draws from different academic, media and narrative sources. Our focus on urban communities of concentrated poverty is intended to challenge students to think about policy solutions to complex problems. How do we respond to under-resourced schools, violence, joblessness, drug addiction and incarceration? The last three weeks of the semester will be reserved for students to present research proposals designed to address the problems discussed in class. Questions for consideration: In what ways do various political, economic and religious ideologies shape our understandings of race? What kinds of practices lead us out of poverty? How do we understand family justice?
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. First meeting 8/31/2011, 12 pm.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
[*Sociology 98Wc. Sports and Society]
Catalog Number: 62527 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Mary C. Waters
Half course (fall term). Tu., 10–12.
This course will examine sports through a sociological lens. We will examine processes of stratification in sports including class, race and gender, as well as sports as a business, the media and sports, and sports and health. Students will do an in depth independent or team based research project on the topic.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
For Undergraduates and Graduates
Sociology 107 (formerly United States in the World 21). The American FamilyCatalog Number: 9124
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
The American family is often thought to be changing in ways considered unfortunate for children and society. At the same time, the family continues to occupy a central place in people’s lives. We examine how and why American families have changed and explore the consequences of these changes. Aspects of family life considered include premarital sex, mate choice, marriage relations, work and family, gender roles, childrearing, family violence, divorce, and intergenerational relations.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement for United States in the World or the Core area requirement for Historical Study A. This course fulfills the requirement that one of the eight General Education courses also engage substantially with Study of the Past.
Sociology 108. Inequality at Work - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 13485
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
The American workplace has become much more diverse over the past 30 years, with women and minorities moving into greater positions of authority. But significant inequalities remain. Why? This course explores how sociologists go about analyzing the reasons for workplace inequalities using a variety of methods from ethnography to surveys to experiments. Using case studies, we pay particular attention to how work can be restructured in ways that increase participation and equality.
Sociology 114. Organizational Failures and Disasters: Leadership in Crisis - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 77614
Joshua Wakeham
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Examines organizational failures and disasters from a variety of sectors and professional fields as way to understand how organizational life influences people’s behavior, thinking, decision-making, and moral judgment.
[Sociology 121. Religion in a Globalizing World]
Catalog Number: 34149
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Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Far from disappearing as the world modernized, religion today is found everywhere from the public to private spheres. We will explore the places of religion around the globe, from the rise of religious nationalism to transnational immigration networks.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Sociology 128. Models of Social Science Research
Catalog Number: 5979
Mary C. Waters
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Introduces the methods and logic social scientists use to study the empirical world. Topics include the scientific method, hypothesis testing, measurement of variables, survey research design and sampling, qualitative interviewing, ethnography, experiments, content analysis, GIS, demography, and the ethics of research.
Note: Required of concentrators, ordinarily sophomores, and secondary concentrators.
[Sociology 129. Education and Society]
Catalog Number: 6298 Enrollment: Limited to 40.
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
Examines the key role played by the educational system in reproducing and transforming modern society. Considers the purposes served by an educational system, the distinctiveness of the American educational system in comparison to other countries, the ways that education connects to the labor market in the U.S. and other societies, and why educational attainment is related to social class and ethnicity.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Sociology 132. Mobilizing for Social Change: Social Movements and Revolutions around the World - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 51482
Jocelyn Viterna
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 2; .
Social movements and revolution have long been driving forces behind political, social, and cultural change. From the Civil Rights movement of the 60s to the recent and unpredicted "Arab Spring," the extraordinary mobilization of ordinary people is routinely credited with fundamentally re-shaping societal institutions--the polity, the economy, religion, gender, race, and even the environment. But can we really define and study something as ephemeral as social mobilization? Do we know how social movements begin? Why might they become revolutionary? Can they make a difference in the societies they target? This course examines these questions within the sociological literature on collective action. Theories of social movements and revolutions are then applied to a series of case studies around the globe. Case studies may include the US, Iran, China, El Salvador, Chile, India, Poland, Argentina, Egypt, and Nigeria, among others. Students will also be required to apply course readings to the collective action case of their choosing throughout the semester.
Sociology 137. Money, Work, and Social Life
Catalog Number: 1589 Enrollment: Limited to 80.
Filiz Garip
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 12 and weekly section. EXAM GROUP: 5
Examining different sectors of the economy from corporations and finance to households, immigrants, welfare, and illegal markets, we explore how in all areas of economic life people are creating, maintaining, symbolizing, and transforming meaningful social relations. Economic life, from this perspective, is as social as religion, family, or education.
*Sociology 138. Political Sociology
Catalog Number: 25214 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Justin Gest
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
This course examines power relations between people in different political contexts: First, the state and its overarching culture and attempts at governance; Second, open society where people interact with each other outside institutional control; Third, markets where people compete for power subject to prevailing rules or norms; And fourth, in revolt when people organize to change the dynamics of power in such contexts. At hand each week are key questions that underpin power relations between people in modern societies.
Sociology 142. Urban Problems and Politics - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 89889
David Luberoff (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 12; . EXAM GROUP: 14
Facing both pressing social issues and promising economic opportunities, key actors in U.S. cities have responded with creative efforts to address such issues as housing, education, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, public safety, transportation, and public health. Students will use a mix of case studies and theories of urban social relations, urban politics, urban planning, and urban economics to explore those issues and responses to them - with a particular focus on how and why some promising strategies are adopted while others often are ignored.
*Sociology 143. Building Just Institutions - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 10985 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Joshua Wakeham
Half course (fall term). Th., 2:30–4:30. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17, 18
How can and do people build institutions that are just? This course examines the psychological and sociological underpinnings of people’s understanding of justice and their motivation to make situations just. The course draws heavily on real world cases from a variety of social, cultural, and historical settings, as well thinking and research from sociology, philosophy, psychology, and anthropology.
[Sociology 145. Urban Social Problems]
Catalog Number: 8737
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Half course (fall term). M., W., at 2. EXAM GROUP: 7
Examines first the process by which social phenomenon come to be identified as social problems, then turns to how sociologists have studied social problems from the beginning of the 20th century and onward. We conclude with a discussion of contemporary social problems in US cities (poverty, family structure, neighborhoods, labor markets, crime, and education), how they are framed, and policy solutions.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Social Analysis.
Sociology 147. The Shareholder Value Management Revolution
Catalog Number: 94147 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Frank Dobbin
Half course (spring term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Since the late 1970s, the American style of management has been revolutionized. This course reviews the history of American management strategies, focusing on the origins and effects of the shareholder value approach that now prevails among leading firms. Shareholder value traces its roots to America’s lackluster performance in the global economy during the 1970s, and the prescriptions offered by agency theorists in the field of financial economics. We explore how the shareholder value approach was promoted in American firms. We look at how the approach has changed core corporate strategy, how it has affected corporate performance, and how it has shaped labor markets and income inequality.
Sociology 149. Inequality, Poverty, and Wealth in Comparative Perspective - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 19398
Patrick Hamm
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 1; W., at 2; W., at 3; Th., at 8 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 15
In capitalist societies around the world, inequalities in income and wealth rank among the most controversial and hotly debated political issues. Policy-makers and social scientists alike are interested in determining the sources of inequality, its consequences, whether certain levels of inequality are acceptable, how inequality relates to poverty, and whether and how the state should intervene in distributional issues. This course takes a step back from these concerns and examines the fundamental causes of inequality. Rather than asking how the proverbial pie is distributed, we will explore how the pie is actually baked. The course is structured in two parts. The first segment introduces students to a sociological political economy and situates the concept of inequality in a broader analytical framework. The second segment applies this conceptual toolkit to examine the political economy of inequality in different market societies, including advanced industrial nations, developing countries, and former socialist economies.
*Sociology 150. Neighborhood Effects and the Social Order of the City - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 31834 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Robert J. Sampson
Half course (spring term). M., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
Ideas about order and disorder have driven debates about the city for over a century. After reviewing classic approaches we will examine contemporary urban research on neighborhood inequality, "broken-windows" and crime, racial segregation, the challenges of ethnic diversity and immigration, neighborhood social networks, the symbolic meanings of disorder, and competing visions for the uses of public space. Students will conduct field-based observations drawing upon cutting-edge methods employed by urban sociologists to understand the workings of the modern city.
*Sociology 152. Philanthropy and Public Problem-Solving - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 96881 Enrollment: Limited.
Christine Webb Letts (Kennedy School) and Jim Bildner (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 2:30-4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
This course will explore the role of philanthropy in public problem-solving. Using cases and readings, the course will cover the history and role of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, relationship of both to government, the nature of strategic philanthropy, organizational assessment and impact of private action for public good. Students will chose a problem area with a focus on Boston, and, in teams, research the policies, responses/interventions, role of institutions, strengths and weaknesses of the response and institutional arrangements associated with the problem. A foundation has provided 100,000 dollars (for an enrollment of more than 20 students) for the students to grant to organizations determined as a result of their research.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as MLD-805. Course will meet at the Kennedy School.
Sociology 155. Class and Culture
Catalog Number: 8934
Timothy Nelson (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1;. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Examines the intersection of social class and culture--both popular culture and "culture" in the anthropological sense. Focus on different class cultures as well as the cultural views of the class system, how social class is embedded in various high and popular cultural products such as art, music books, movies and material goods, and finally the question of how class is reproduced through culture. There will be several short research/analysis projects.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement for Culture and Belief and the Core requirement for Social Analysis.
*Sociology 156. Quantitative Methods in Sociology
Catalog Number: 8958
Bruce Western
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Introduces quantitative analysis in social research, including principles of research design and the use of empirical evidence, particularly from social surveys. Descriptive and inferential statistics, contingency table analysis, and regression analysis. Emphasis on analysis of data and presentation of results in research reports.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators, ordinarily sophomores. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement in Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning or the Core area requirement for Quantitative Reasoning.
*Sociology 157. Mapping and Analyzing Social Patterns in Greater Boston - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 88434 Enrollment: Limited to 30.
Daniel T. O’Brien
Half course (fall term). M., W., 2–3:30. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Introduces the skills necessary to work with spatial data, with a focus on community-level variation in the greater Boston metropolitan area. Includes managing and visualizing data with ArcGIS (v.10) and analytical techniques designed to address complications with spatial data.
[*Sociology 159. Social Entrepreneurship]
Catalog Number: 9611 Enrollment: Limited to 80.
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Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Focuses on the efforts of private citizens, for-profit and not-for-profit initiatives, to respond to social needs through creative solutions. Topics covered: defining social good, assessing market, philanthropy, and government responses; developing an organizational mission; recognizing specific opportunities for social improvement; forming an enterprise that responds to those opportunities; developing organizational funding strategies; evaluating performance; leading the enterprise; and creating positive and sustainable social value.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. Enrollment by lottery.
[Sociology 160. Medicine, Health Policy and Bioethics in Comparative and Global Perspective: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 3456
Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School)
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Complements Sociology 162. Examines the culture and political economy of biomedicine and health care institutions in the US and internationally. Analysis of current debates on medical education and the new professionalism; clinical narratives, the medical imaginary and the biotechnical embrace; cultural diversity, disparities and inequalities in medical and mental health care; medical error and quality of care; just use of societal resources; and bioethical dilemmas in clinical practice, medical missions and interventions, and international research and health policies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
[Sociology 161. Globalization]
Catalog Number: 55428
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Half course (spring term). M., W., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Focuses on the development of global capitalism and the relationship between markets, the state, and civil society. The course will pay particular attention to power and inequality, and to various forms of resistance against globalization.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Sociology 164. Successful Societies: Markers and Pathways
Catalog Number: 64978
Michèle Lamont and Peter Hall
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Analyzes the markers of societal success and the social conditions that sustain it. Discusses various indicators ranging from the standard economic measures to the human development index, inequality, resilience to shocks, educational, child development and health measures. Considers the role of cultural and institutional buffers (how cultural repertoires and myths feed strong collective identities, cultural and institutional supports for coping with stigma, models of citizenship and immigration, and multi-level governance and their impact on welfare and poverty). Similarly addresses factors that present major challenges, or ’wicked problems’, like concentrated urban poverty, well-being of indigenous and other racialized groups and some of the solutions attempted. Particular attention will be put on the United States, Canada, and other advanced industrial societies and to the role of space, institutions, and culture in shaping the conditions for successful societies. Public policy implications will also be discussed.
Sociology 165. Inequalities in Health Care
Catalog Number: 8272
Mary Ruggie (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
Asks why certain social groups are at greater risk for more severe health problems (e.g., infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, cancer) and yet receive unequal health care in the US. Examines what best practices foster adequate delivery of healthcare services, mutual respect between patient and provider, and healthy living. Considers the role of government, the private sector, family and community.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Social Analysis.
[Sociology 166. Sociology of Poverty]
Catalog Number: 49285 Enrollment: Limited to 35.
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Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 2. EXAM GROUP: 16
Examines sociological research on poverty and inequality and engages current debates about the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality in the U.S. and other advanced industrialized countries. Explores policy approaches to reducing poverty and inequality.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Sociology 169. Negotiation and Conflict Transformation for Policy and Practice - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 17367
Kimberlyn Rachael Leary (Medical School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Applies negotiation frameworks to a rich array of cases about community organizing, health care reform, social enterprise ventures, and diplomacy, including cases that students will share from their own research and field study. The course will enable students to be more reflective about large-scale conflicts, organizational and neighborhood tensions, and everyday experiences of dispute and enmity. Students will also engage in a series of lab exercises and negotiation simulations that will permit them to extend their relational problem-solving skills.
Sociology 170. Culture and Networks - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 65007
Bart Bonikowski
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10; Tu., at 1; Tu., at 4. EXAM GROUP: 12
This course will serve as an overview of the growing field of network research with a particular focus on how patterns of social interaction shape and are themselves shaped by cultural preferences and meaning-making processes. We will discuss a variety of substantive topics, including musical tastes, romantic relationships, organizational collaboration and competition, and social movement mobilization, while paying particular attention to the increasingly important role of social media in establishing and maintaining social ties.
Sociology 172. Crime, Journalism and Law
Catalog Number: 51199
Cory Theodore Way
Half course (spring term). M., 1 to 3 and weekly section. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Crime narratives have dominated news and entertainment since the beginning of mass communication. This course examines the prominence of crime narratives in Anglo-American societies in various media formats. We will explore why crime has been consistently compelling to societies and citizens, and how these narratives have been harnessed to advance religious, political, governmental and ideological objectives. We will then study the power of mass communication and the impact that crime events can have on societies and their legal systems. We will conclude by examining what responsibilities (if any) media organizations, individual journalists, media consumers, state officials and the legal system should assume when producing, consuming and otherwise engaging highly publicized crime events.
Sociology 174. Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus
Catalog Number: 5060
Laura L. Adams and Robyn E. Angley
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1.
An introduction to the post-Soviet societies of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). Explores topics such as religion, politics, civil society, globalization, gender, ethnicity, migration, and culture.
Sociology 175. Sociology of Immigration
Catalog Number: 76736
Justin Gest
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
This course examines global migration and the sociopolitical responses of national communities to this phenomenon. In the first half of the course, students consider the process of international migration, and the dynamics of immigration policy, border control and citizenship. In the second half, students address contemporary approaches to settlement, integration and political incorporation. The course concludes by evaluating the impact of transnational affiliations and supranational governance on a process that conventionally has been overseen by national authorities. At hand each week are some of the great social and political debates confronting American society and many other countries today.
[Sociology 178. Social Network Analysis: Theory, Methods and Applications]
Catalog Number: 54236
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Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Interests in social network analysis have exploded in the past few years. Aimed to examine social relationships and interactions from a structural perspective, social network analysis has become an essential tool for us to understand and address a variety of social issues, including friendship formation, peer influence, career mobility, socioeconomic inequality, organizational alliance and competition, economic development, international trade, diffusion of innovations, political mobilization, crime proliferation, spreading of diseases, etc. This course covers the basic concepts and theory in social network analysis, and major approaches and methods to collect, represent, visualize and analyze social network data. Students will also have the opportunity to learn using the mainstream software in social network analysis to conduct their own research on social networks.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Sociology 179. Crime, Justice, and the American Legal System
Catalog Number: 3962
Cory Theodore Way
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4; . EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Explores the causes and consequences of crime in society. Critically examines the role of key players in the American criminal justice system, including police, politicians, judges, lawyers, offenders, victims and the media. Considers historical, political and sociological dimensions of controversial issues in criminal justice practice and policy.
Sociology 180. Law, Science, and Society in America - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 38367
Sheila Jasanoff (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 10; F., at 10; Th., at 2. EXAM GROUP: 3
This course explores the tensions, contradictions, and mutual appropriations that characterize the relationship between law, science, and technology in America. It examines how ideas of evidence, expertise, and public reason have changed over the past half-century in response to such phenomena as the rise of the risk society, environmentalism, patient advocacy, and the information revolution. Law is broadly construed to include the activities of legislatures, regulatory agencies, and courts. The course seeks to contextualize the interactions of law, science, and technology in relation to wider transformations in US culture and society.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as IGA-516.
Sociology 183. Race and Ethnic Relations
Catalog Number: 70535
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (fall term). M., 3–5.
Focuses on ethno-racial distinctions as they have played out in the US, particularly in the period from post-World War II to the present. The specific topics covered include the concept of race itself, whiteness and white identity, sociological theories of racial and ethnic stratification, immigration and immigration politics, processes of assimilation, new and changing ethno-racial identities, and racial attitudes. In the process of addressing these large and cross-cutting topics we will also take up a host of related issues dealing with such matters as income and wealth differentials, schooling and its outcomes, crime and incarceration, families, interracial marriages, and racism and antiracism.
Sociology 187. Nationalism and Society - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 76364
Ben Herzog
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
The western geopolitical imagination maintains that institutions and organizations (the state), culture (the nation), society and the economy must perfectly overlap. Although no state exists in which the four elements truly overlap, as a subjective cultural frame, nationalism still provides a political formula for organizing the world. The clash between the perceived model (nationalism) and the social reality will be the subject of this course. We will look at the construction of Nationalism and at its manifestations in every-day life and in popular culture.
Sociology 190. Life and Death in the US: Medicine and Disease in Social Context
Catalog Number: 0021
Nicholas A. Christakis (Medical School, FAS)
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 3; sections TBA. EXAM GROUP: 8
Explores how biological and social factors jointly conspire to determine the health of individuals and populations. Examines how medical care, social networks, and socioeconomic inequality influence illness, recovery, and death.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement for United States in the World or the Core area requirement for Social Analysis.
Sociology 197. Democratic Citizenship in the Modern World - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 24842
Ben Herzog
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Can states torture their own citizens? What protection should be offered by diplomatic or consular representatives abroad? Can a citizen renounce her citizenship to avoid taxes or military service? Should citizenship be granted to children of illegal immigrants who are born in the US? What tie is stronger — marriage or citizenship? In this course we will try to understand such practical contemporary dilemmas by looking at the theoretical underpinning of democratic citizenship. Then we will compare, in theory and in practice, the model of national citizenship to the current alternatives of political allegiances around the world.
Cross-listed Courses
African and African American Studies 115. HBO’s The Wire and its Contribution to Understanding Urban InequalityAfrican and African American Studies 197. Poverty, Race, and Health
History of Science 157. Sociology of Science
Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality 1168. Education, Race, and Gender in the United States
Primarily for Graduates
*Sociology 202. Intermediate Quantitative Research MethodsCatalog Number: 4117
Jason Beckfield
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Research designs and measurement techniques used in quantitative sociological research. Regression methods for continuous and binary response variables, including categorical predictors, nonlinearity interactions, diagnostics, and criticism. Emphasis on applications and implementation.
Note: Required of, and limited to, first-year graduate students in Sociology
Prerequisite: Familiarity with basic statistics.
*Sociology 203a. Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
Catalog Number: 3315
Christopher Winship
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–12.
Matrix approach to regression analysis with an emphasis on the assumptions behind OLS. Instrumental variables, generalized least squares, probit and logit models, survival analysis, hierarchical linear models, and systems of equations are studied.
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, second-year graduate students in Sociology.
Prerequisite: Sociology 202 or basic course in regression analysis.
*Sociology 203b. Analysis of Longitudinal Data: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1860
Alexandra Achen Killewald
Half course (fall term). Th., 4–6.
This course takes an applied approach to the analysis of longitudinal data. Lectures will provide an overview of a variety of techniques, including fixed effects models, multilevel models, and duration models. Students will develop their own empirical projects and receive support as they begin to work with longitudinal datasets.
Note: Primarily for graduate students in sociology.
Sociology 204. Classical Social Theory
Catalog Number: 6189
Adam B. Seligman
Half course (fall term). M., 9–11. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3
Introduction to the formative ideas and socio-intellectual contexts of 19th and early 20th century sociological theory. Course will explore social thought from the perspective provided by the problem of social order - and the roles different thinkers attributed to such factors as solidarity, power, and meaning as solutions to this problem. Consideration of the continuing significance of these ideas for contemporary social thought.
Note: Required of and limited to first-year graduate students in Sociology.
*Sociology 205. Sociological Research Design
Catalog Number: 8972
Jocelyn Viterna
Half course (fall term). W., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 3, 4
This course covers the fundamentals of sociological research design. Emphasis is placed on principles that are applicable in all kinds of sociological research, including surveys, participant observation, comparative historical study, interviews, and quantitative analysis of existing data. The course also delves into current methodological controversies in several arenas.
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, first-year graduate students in Sociology.
[Sociology 206. The Sociology of Development: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9026
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3.
Examines debates surrounding the nature of the process of economic development. Major attention is devoted to rival theories of where and why development occurs and to a variety of social consequences of economic development.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
*Sociology 208. Contemporary Theory and Research: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6080
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (spring term). Th., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Covers the development of sociology as a discipline in the US and the rise of distinct schools of sociological theory. Assesses the role of mechanisms in sociological theory and explores the use of theory in empirical research.
Note: Required of and limited to second-year graduate students in Sociology.
*Sociology 209. Qualitative Social Analysis: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1198
Michèle Lamont
Half course (spring term). W., 9–11. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3
Examines approaches to non-numerical data used by social scientists to obtain valid, reliable, and meaningful insight into the social world through the analysis of ethnographic field notes, interview transcripts, and archival and other interpretative data.
Note: Required of and limited to first-year graduate students in Sociology.
[*Sociology 217. Sociology of Families and Kinship: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8522
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Examines research on family patterns, combining a focus on how family patterns vary and change over time and how individuals differ in their experience of life course transitions, such as marriage, divorce, and retirement.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
[*Sociology 221. Immigration, Identity and Assimilation: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9699
Mary C. Waters
Half course (fall term). W., 12–2. EXAM GROUP: 5, 6
Examines the experiences of recent immigrants and their children — the second generation. Review of economic, political, and social assimilation, and ethnic identity formation. Discussion of recent theories and research on the link between identity and economic assimilation.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
*Sociology 223. American Society and Public Policy: Research Seminar - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 15067 Enrollment: Limited to 16.
Theda Skocpol and Mary C. Waters
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3.
Explores growing inequality in the U.S., and its implications for public policy in the areas of social support for families and workers, immigration and citizenship, and access to higher education. Students are expected to develop and present their own research.
*Sociology 224. Organizational Analysis: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8202
Christopher Marquis (Business School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17, 18
Reviews classical and contemporary theories of organizations, including ecological, institutional, resource dependence, transaction-cost, agency theory, networks and social movements. Examines phenomena at multiple levels from the establishment to the organizational network or field.
Note: Offered jointly with the Business School as HBS 4880.
[*Sociology 226. The Sociology of Culture]
Catalog Number: 30907
Orlando Patterson
Half course (fall term). Th., 2–4.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
[Sociology 234. Ethnographic Fieldwork]
Catalog Number: 34764
Matthew Stephen Desmond
Half course (spring term). Th., 12–2. EXAM GROUP: 14, 15
This seminar is about the practice, politics, and poetics of ethnographic fieldwork--the method of immersing oneself into people’s daily routines and systematically recording social processes as they unfold in real time. Along with engaging with several classic and contemporary texts, participants will collect, analyze, and argue with ethnographic data.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
*Sociology 235. Advanced Qualitative Methods - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 80114
Tamara Kay
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4.
Explores qualitative research methods with a focus on interviewing, case studies, comparative case analysis, and ethnography, and with particular attention to international/transnational research. Geared towards students who are conducting fieldwork and/or collecting data.
Prerequisite: Intended for students who have already taken sociology 209 or its equivalent.
[*Sociology 236. Selected Topics in Culture and Inequality]
Catalog Number: 0582
Michèle Lamont
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to cultural sociology, particularly as it intersects with the study of inequality. Topics: Symbolic boundaries, cultural capital, cultural consumption, identity, race and class cultures, anti-racism, cultural repertoires, explanation, interpretation, and comparative research strategies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
Sociology 237. Contemporary Chinese Society: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4320
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
A seminar devoted to the intensive analysis of a particular aspect of contemporary Chinese society. This year the focus will be on trends in inequality and stratification in China.
[Sociology 239. Just Institutions (Graduate Seminar in General Education)]
Catalog Number: 38797
Christopher Winship
Half course (spring term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Examines the normative, psychological, and sociological underpinnings needed to develop and maintain social institutions that are considered "just". The seminar will design and develop a General Education course for undergraduates.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
*Sociology 243. Economic Sociology
Catalog Number: 2022
Frank Dobbin
Half course (spring term). F., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Introduction to economic sociology at the graduate level. Surveys the institutional, network, power, and cognitive approaches to explaining the structure and practices found in firms, markets, and national economies.
Sociology 248. Race, Politics, and Social Inequality: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8035
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3.
Examines intersection of race, public will, and policy-making. Reviews theories of race-making and racial inequality, dynamics of public opinion, and effects of a racialized public sphere on social policy. Focuses on the welfare state, the criminal justice system, and the dynamics of a multiethnic society.
Sociology 254. Social Structure and Culture in the Study of Race and Urban Poverty
Catalog Number: 80085
William Julius Wilson
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
The purpose of this course is to critically examine current writings and debates on how social structure and culture affect the social outcomes of the African Americans and immigrants in the US. The relevance of these works for public and social policy will also be discussed.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as SUP-207 (Formerly AAAS 211)
*Sociology 255. Social Stratification: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3839
Alexandra Achen Killewald
Half course (spring term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
This graduate level seminar surveys contemporary research in the field of social stratification. We will discuss competing explanations of and empirical scholarship on the emergence, historical evolution and cross-national variation of social inequalities.
Sociology 263. Historical Sociology: Cultural and Institutional Perspectives
Catalog Number: 82536
Orlando Patterson
Half course (spring term). Th., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 18
The seminar examines selected major problems in the origins, development and consequences of capitalism both in and out of the West. Among the topics explored are: merchant capital in the late medieval and renaissance periods; institutional factors in the rise of Western capitalism; honorific individualism in the making of modern Japanese culture; colonialism and the institutional origins of development and underdevelopment; the role of religion, slavery and freedom; civility, aesthetic publics and emergent modernities; gender, sexuality and familial change. Our readings and discussions will be guided by the recurring theoretical problems of causality, origins, continuity and change in institutional and cultural processes.
Sociology 267. Political Sociology
Catalog Number: 42489
Bart Bonikowski
Half course (fall term). Th., 2–4.
This course examines power relations between (and within) society and the state. We will focus on nation-state formation, revolutions, social movements, ideology and political attitudes, welfare state policies, and globalization, while interrogating the major theoretical traditions that have shaped the sociological study of politics.
*Sociology 275. Social Network Analysis: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6899
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (fall term). F., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 3, 4
Concepts and methods for studying social structure using social networks. Approaches to collecting network data; data quality; graph-theoretic, statistical, and visual approaches to analyzing network data, including blockmodels and multidimensional scaling.
*Sociology 296a. Proseminar on Inequality & Social Policy I
Catalog Number: 67293
Kathryn Edin (Kennedy School) and Christopher Jencks (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Considers the effects of policies and institutions in creating or reducing inequality in the U.S. and other advanced democracies, we well as the reciprocal effects of inequality on political activity and policy choices.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as SUP-921.
Cross-listed Courses
*Government 2340b. Social Policy lI[*Psychology 2630. Social Behavior in Organizations: Seminar]
Graduate Courses of Reading and Research
[*Sociology 300hf (formerly *Sociology 300). Workshop on Race: Black Youth Culture]Catalog Number: 6654
Orlando Patterson 1091
Half course (throughout the year). F., 12–2.
A venue for graduate students and advanced scholars working on all aspects of minority-majority relations, the condition of Afro-Americans and other disadvantaged ethnic groups, and the evaluation of related public policies and programs.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14.
*Sociology 301. Special Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 4017
David L. Ager 5142, Jason Beckfield 5612, Lawrence D. Bobo 2919, Mary C. Brinton 4567, Nicholas A. Christakis 4459, Frank Dobbin 4622, Kathryn Edin (Kennedy School) 5952, Filiz Garip 5887, Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School) 7721, Christopher Jencks (Kennedy School) 2160, Tamara Kay 5611, Michèle Lamont 4634, Stanley Lieberson 1937, Peter V. Marsden 1797, Orlando Patterson 1091, Robert J. Sampson 4546, Theda Skocpol 1387, Jocelyn Viterna 5860, Mary C. Waters 1498, Bruce Western 5763, Martin K. Whyte 3737 (on leave spring term), William Julius Wilson 2401, and Christopher Winship 3189 (on leave spring term)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
*Sociology 302. Direction of Doctoral Dissertations
Catalog Number: 5021
Members of the Department
*Sociology 303a. Advanced Topics in Quantitative Research
Catalog Number: 5636
Christopher Winship 3189 (on leave spring term)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). W., 12–1:30. EXAM GROUP: 5, 6
Examines current methodological scholarship in the social sciences with an eye to assessing its quality and potential for advancing quantitative methods. Recently published and unpublished work by local scholars examined.
*Sociology 304. Culture and Social Analysis Workshop
Catalog Number: 2809
Michèle Lamont 4634
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). M., 4–6.
A venue for those working on topics such as meaning-making, identity, collective memory, symbolic boundaries, cultural capital, class cultures, popular culture, media, disciplinary cultures, and the impact of culture on inequality.
*Sociology 305. Teaching Practicum
Catalog Number: 0259
Jocelyn Viterna 5860
Half course (fall term). F., 2–4.
Note: Required of and limited to graduate students in Sociology. Attendance at first meeting is required. Not repeatable for credit.
*Sociology 307. Proseminar on Inequality and Social Policy III
Catalog Number: 0137
Bruce Western 5763
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4.
Students develop previously completed papers from Sociology 296a or 296b into professional presentations and publishable articles, critique peer papers across disciplines, and discuss presentations of national experts.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as SUP-923.
Prerequisite: Sociology 296a and Gov 2340b (or SUP-921 and 922 at the Kennedy School)
*Sociology 308. Workshop on Economic Sociology
Catalog Number: 0086
Frank Dobbin 4622
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). W., 3:30–5.
Presentations and discussions of new research by members of the community and visiting scholars. Students are exposed to the major paradigms in the field, and see how research articles are developed and refined.
*Sociology 309. Migration and Immigrant Incorporation Workshop
Catalog Number: 9932
Mary C. Waters 1498
Half course (spring term). Th., 12–2. EXAM GROUP: 14, 15
Bi-weekly colloquium for graduate students that examines international migration and the incorporation of migrants into host societies. Students participate in meetings and present original work in progress.
*Sociology 310. Qualifying Paper - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 40662
Matthew Stephen Desmond
Half course (fall term). F., 10–12.
Guides students through the process of producing an original research paper of high quality. Readings and discussion cover the identification of appropriate research problems, the nature of causal reasoning, and data analysis and write-up.
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, third-year graduate students while writing the qualifying paper. Not repeatable for credit.
[*Sociology 312. Workshop on Social Networks and Social Capital: Advanced Models and Empirical Applications]
Catalog Number: 49871
Filiz Garip
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Th., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 18
The workshop brings together quantitative sociologists working with advanced descriptive, computational, causal or network models to empirically analyze issues broadly related to social networks and social capital.
Note: Expected to be given in 2013–14. Class meets bi-weekly. First class, September 8, 2011.
*Sociology 314. Workshop on Urban Social Processes
Catalog Number: 16972
Robert J. Sampson
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Th., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 18
Forum for discussion of analytic sociological research on city and community. Covering a range of topics with a focus on social mechanisms, processes, and structures. The workshop aims to support the presentation of graduate student research but will also include discussion sessions on selected readings and work-in-progress by faculty at Harvard and colleagues around the country.
Note: First class, September 15, 2011.
*Sociology 315. Inequality and Social Policy: Seminar
Catalog Number: 65203
Bruce Western
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). M., 12–2.
*Sociology 317. Culture, History and Society
Catalog Number: 84118
Orlando Patterson
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). F., 12–2.
Note: Class meets bi-weekly. First class meeting is September 7, 2012.
*Sociology 320. Workshop on Sociology of Education
Catalog Number: 18817
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Tu., 12–2.
A forum for students and faculty across the university interested in the sociology of education, primarily for the discussion of research in progress. Domestic and comparative topics welcome. Meets bi-weekly, Fall and Spring.
Note: First class meeting for fall term is September 4, 2012.
*Sociology 390. Health and Social Structure
Catalog Number: 6282
Nicholas A. Christakis 4459
Full course. Th., 1–2:30.
Considers advanced topics in how supra-individual factors, such as social networks, neighborhoods, and health care organizations, contribute to individual health and longevity. Students develop and present original research plans and research.
Note: Course meets at Harvard Medical School.