Sociology

This course examines the basic principles and basic procedures of social survey methods. Using the general process of social surveys as the layout logic and small research projects, it introduces survey design, measurement, questionnaire design, survey sampling, data collection, data processing, statistical software application and statistical analysis preparation, data statistical analysis, survey report writing, and method selection.

The course introduces students to basic concepts in the study of human sexuality from a psychological perspective and encourages students to think about the personal, social, and cultural dimensions of human sexuality. It covers topics such as clinical sexology, the context of sexuality in Irish society, sexual health promotion, and a critique of contemporary issues including “hooking up,” pornography and sexualization, and sexuality, with a particular focus on youth and emerging adulthood.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director of Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. Graded P/NP only.

This course examines French and Francophone cultural productions since the end of the Second World War, a traumatic event that transformed and deeply marked France’s society. It focuses on the evolutions of French national identity and diverse representations of it in a context of decolonization, European dynamics, and globalization. The concept of national identity is challenged by multicultural and immigrant populations that shift our understanding of “French” towards a transnational perspective. The critical urgency of this issue of definition is underlined by increasing political tensions in France that are also accentuated by the growing demands for new public commemorations that seek to acknowledge silenced, wounded memories and that, in doing so, may further divide society. The course examines how dissent about French identity revives democracy while paradoxically undoing national borders. It progresses chronologically, starting with post-War liberations from the margins: women (feminism), colonials (decolonization), youth, and other social identities (May 1968). It then analyzes how these forms of gender, ethnic, and social otherness persist or were dealt with in the 70s and 80s. The course also takes a close look at the geographical and spatial fractures that weigh upon French society. Finally, it addresses today’s issues concerning the education system, in particular the teaching of history, the unprecedented economic crisis, old age, climate change, Islam, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism, the attacks in Paris in 2015, and the refugee crisis.

What impact does war have on different groups of people, such as refugees or war correspondents? How have societies altered the conduct of war, through the persecution of minorities, for example? This course addresses these questions, exploring the dynamic relationship between culture, conflict, and change to fully explore people at war. Through both a thematic and case study approach, it draws on a wide range of historic and contemporary conflicts to investigate the destructive and transformative power of conflict on social, cultural, and political life.

This course explores the institution of the family from a sociological perspective, offering a comprehensive overview of the historical development and contemporary dynamics of marriage and family. Key topics include family structure and identity, gender role divisions, the interplay of emotion and power in intimate relationships, intergenerational dynamics and caregiving responsibilities, as well as institutional transformations affecting the modern family.

Grounded in theoretical frameworks, the course also examines the intersections of money and intimacy, the cultural and practical dimensions of motherhood and fatherhood, the social construction of childhood environments, and the evolution and impact of family policies in China. By integrating historical context with real-world case studies, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the complexity and diversity of contemporary family life, and the role of marriage and kinship in a rapidly changing society.

This course introduces the sociology of the state in the Middle East and North Africa region in a historical and comparative perspective. It explores the dynamics that have framed the establishment of state bureaucracies from the former Ottoman, Persian, and Mughal empires, as well as their transformations throughout the political changes of the 20th century, to shed light on the working of contemporary states in the Middle East and North Africa region. While providing an institutional history of the region, the course introduces theoretical resources to study the state and actors that compose it and addresses how modes and patterns of political change (colonization, independences, revolutions) shape the design, staffing, and, ultimately, functioning of states.