Sociology

This course examines the basic components of social stratification, distribution of wealth and power, and social mobility structures. Topics include: sociology, social stratification, and international relations; sociological theories of the structure of capitalism; causes of global poverty and international inequalities; social crises and conflicts in democracies; globalization, geopolitics, and global social stratification; the role of social movements, NGOs, and transnational capitalist organizations; transnational collective action and policies for international justice; stratification, conflict, and social change in countries of the global north and south.

This course is a survey of the changes in French society from a macro-sociological perspective, focusing on the three spheres of school, work, and culture. It examines the ways in which social order changes and is maintained, incorporating the teachings of sociologists such as Pierre Bourdieu, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber.

This course examines the nature of social order and how need for order brings an inevitable consequence that deviance and non-conformity will result. Classical and contemporary sociological and criminological theories are explored that help explain the nature of social order and crime and deviance. Topics covered in the course include suicide, industrial disasters, religious cults, sexual assault, racism, terrorism and the witchcraze of the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe.

Do you think science and technology are neutral tools for gaining economic and social prosperity? Do you think innovation is always a good thing? This course questions such assumptions by studying the relationship between science, technology, and society. This relationship is both complex and ambiguous. For example, from a societal perspective, self-driving cars may bring profits to car companies and gains in car safety, but they also raise questions on individual autonomy and responsibility of drivers; genetically modified crops may increase yields but may also increase the power of multinational corporations over smallholder farmers; and contraceptive pills may enable family planning but also put the responsibility for contraceptive measures with women instead of men. In short: science and technology can be highly political, and innovation can have consequences whose desirability can be contested. This course provides students with the tools and perspectives to explore and reflect on such politics and controversies. Theoretical frameworks for understanding the relationship between science, technology, and society, such as large technological systems, actor-network theory, and the social construction of technology are reviewed. 

The course approaches legacy of the settler colonialism in Germany and the U.S., and it critically explores the forms it takes such as hobbyism, Indianthusiasm, Indigenous identity theft, cultural appropriation, and environmental racism. It also provides space for Indigenous voices regarding the issues, thus bringing the decolonizing approach into practice. Participants are expected to create their own research projects approaching the central research question from more specific dimensions (historical, cultural studies, and decolonial perspectives).