CGS SS 101 -- How Societies Work: An Introduction to the Social Sciences This course introduces students to the methods of inquiry and principal concepts of the social sciences--a handful of disciplines that includes anthropology, sociology, social psychology, economics, political science, and history. Through the analysis of contemporary society and cross-cultural studies, students will examine the importance of culture, the economy, and power and authority, and learn how these structures interconnect with each other to give rise to distinctive patterns of human thought and behavior. Consideration is given to the categories of race, class, and gender, both as markers of identity and bases for systems of social inequality. The course emphasizes the classical sociological theories of Durkheim, Marx, and Weber and instructs students on how to use these theories to critically evaluate social structures and historical change. One lecture, two discussions, and one additional contact hour as assigned. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.