Courses

• CAS SO 313: Economic Sociology
  Presents the sociological approach to the study of production, distribution, consumption and markets, emphasizing the impact of norms, power, social structure, and institutions on the economy. Compares classic and contemporary approaches to the economy by the social science disciplines.
• CAS SO 315: The Social Nature of Technology
  Theoretical foundations of sociology of technology from antiquity through the modern age. Explores the paradox of technology as being socially constructed, but treated as similar to nature.
• CAS SO 318: Sociology of Childhood and Youth
  Explores the "social construction" of childhood and youth, and examines ways in which social institutions (family, schools, media, and law) influence children's lives in different social settings. Also examined are social and policy issues surrounding childhood in the U.S. today.
• CAS SO 320: Political Sociology
  Introduces theories and research in political sociology and comparative politics. Examines the ways political ideas and governmental structures affect current issues, such as U.S. presidential elections, the waging of war, genocide, gender inequality, and provision of social services.
• CAS SO 323: Markets in Biomedicine and Healthcare
  Complex ways in which market exchange impacts the practice of medicine, the delivery of patient care, and the medical profession; commodification of bodies and emotions; theoretical discussion of the market and overview of US health care system.
• CAS SO 328: Contemporary South Asian Societies
  A broad introduction to contemporary South Asian societies. With a focus on the conceptual themes of modernity and identity, selected topics are explored, including South Asian ethnic and political conflicts, women's movements, popular culture, and diaspora communities.
• CAS SO 330: Criminology and Criminal Justice
  Sociological aspects of selected problems, programs, and issues in criminology. Subjects of crime as related to social systems; changing concepts of crime; and the relation of criminal law to other devices of social control.
• CAS SO 333: The Workplace
  Investigates the social organization of work. Topics include the history of industrial work, the presence of inequality at work, the impact of the work experience for individuals, and the effects of globalization and the "new economy" on work both here and abroad.
• CAS SO 334: Sociology of Mental Illness
  An evaluation of current theories and research on the social sources and consequences of mental illness. Featured topics for discussion include social-psychological perspectives on the definition, diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of mental disorders.
• CAS SO 345: Film and Society
  An overview of the historical, social-cultural, and aesthethic factors that contribute to cinematic representations of social life, including portrayals of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Examines movie- going and spectatorship as it has changed over time.
• CAS SO 355: Science, Race, and Society
  Explores social, cultural, and political debates surrounding scientific authority. Focuses on how racial differences come to be understood as "natural" and how scientific practice and social orders impact one another. Also considers how gender, class, and nationality have shaped scientific understandings of racialized bodies and populations. Also offered as CAS AA 355.
• CAS SO 400: Sociology Practicum
  Seminar for seniors pursuing an honors thesis. Examines the practicalities of thesis research and writing: clarifying topics, writing strong literature reviews, creating good research designs, getting approval for research from the Institutional Review Board, and presenting studies effectively to audiences.
• CAS SO 401: Senior Independent Work
  
• CAS SO 402: Senior Independent Work
  
• CAS SO 403: Seminar: Gender Stratification
  Inequality between women and men in employment, occupational position, and income. Examines the nature and causes of gender stratification in industrial societies.
• CAS SO 415: Seminar: Sociology of Law
  Classical and contemporary perspectives on law's development in society. Selected applications of law are then examined with attention to constraints on law's ability to achieve such societal goals as justice and equality and to alter social relations fundamentally.
• CAS SO 417: Seminar: Community Sociology
  The study of communities in different settings; their organization and contribution to building a social and moral order in urban areas. The historical development of communities and the way persons adapt to urban life through communities are also considered.
• CAS SO 418: Seminar: Sociology of Medicine
  Focuses on the medical profession, sources of its power and authority, the effects of recent changes in financing and delivery of healthcare. Medical training and decision-making analyzed. Doctor-patient interaction and the use of alternative treatments.
• CAS SO 420: Seminar: Women and Social Change in the Developing World
  Studies women in nonindustrial countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, stressing empirical research, theory, and methodology. Comparisons between regions and with industrial countries. Focus on sex segregation, female labor force participation, migration, fertility, family roles, and women and political power. Also offered as CAS IR 425.
• CAS SO 434: Seminar: Sociology of Mental Illness
  An evaluation of current theories and research on the social sources and consequences of mental illness. Featured topics for discussion include social-psychological perspectives on the definition, diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of mental disorders.

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