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UNDERGRADUATE
COURSES
SOCI001-401 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SOCIETY SECTOR (ALL CLASSES)
CROSS LISTED: AFRC-002
Sociology provides a unique way to look at human behavior and the world. Sociology is the systematic study of the groups and societies in which people live. In this introductory course, we examine and analyze how social structures and cultures are created, maintained, and most importantly, how they affect behavior. The course deconstructs our taken for granted world of social interactions and behaviors and examines what theory and research can tell about human social behavior.
MW 11- 12 STAFF
Please Note: Registration required for both the lecture and a recitation section.
402 - REC F 12-1 STAFF
403 - REC F 11-12 STAFF
404 - REC M 4-5 STAFF
405 - REC W 3-4 STAFF
SOCI 002-301 SOCIAL PROBLEMS & PUBLIC POLICIES
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
This course approaches some of today’s important social and political issues from a sociological vantage point. The course begins by asking where social problems come from. The main sociological perspectives of Marx, Weber and Durkheim are developed in connection with the issues of inequality, social conflict and community. We then turn to the social construction of social problems by examining how various issues become defined as social problems. This involves a consideration of the role of the media, social experts and social movements. The last section of the course considers how social problems are addressed. Here we discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of government programs and regulations versus market-based approaches. We also discuss the role of philanthropy and volunteerism. Finally, we consider the risk of unanticipated consequences of reforms. Along the way, we will consider a variety of social issues and social problems, including poverty, immigration, crime, global warming, and education.
M 2-5 JACOBS
SOCI 006-401 RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS
GEN REQ I: SOCIETY - CL OF 09 & PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: ASAM-006 URBS-160
The course will examine how social networks, neighborhood contexts, culture, and notions of race affect ethnic relations. Topics include ethnic entrepreneurship, residential segregation, labor force participation, and assimilation processes. The course focuses on the social, economic, and political integration of and interactions among different groups in society.
MW 10-11 KAO
Please Note: Registration required for both the lecture and a recitation section.
402 – REC F 11-12 STAFF
403 – REC F 12-1 STAFF
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SOCI 010-001 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
SOCIETY SECTOR (ALL CLASSES)
The American Dream highlights opportunity for individuals to achieve success based on their own ability and initiative. How well does our society live up to this ideal? Who gets ahead, and who falls behind? Topics include factors that affect life chances in contemporary society: education, social class, race, ethnicity and gender.
TR 10:30-12 VISCELLI
SOCI 011-401 URBAN SOCIOLOGY
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: AFRC-011 URBS-112
A comprehensive introduction to the sociological study of cities. Topics will include theories of urbanism, methods of research, migration, history of cities, gentrification, poverty, urban politics, suburbanization and globalization. Philadelphia will be used as a recurring example, though the course will devote attention to cities around the U.S. and the world.
W 2-5 STAFF
SOCI 012-401 GLOBALIZATION
REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR LEC, REC HUM & SOC SCI SECTOR (NEW CURR ONLY)
CROSS LISTED: ANTH-012 HIST-012
This course uses data from what is actually happening in the course of the semester to introduce the concepts and methods of the social sciences. It analyzes the current state globalization and sets it in historical perspective. We will focus on a series of questions not only about actual processes but about the growing awareness of them, and the consequences of this awareness. In answering these questions, we will distinguish between active campaigns to cover the world (e.g. Christian and Muslim proselytism, opening up markets, democratization) and the unplanned diffusion of new ways of organizing trade, capital flows, tourism and the internet. The body of the course will deal with a series of analytical types of globalization, reviewing both the early and recent history of these processes. The overall approach will be historical and comparative, setting globalization on the larger stage of the economic, political and cultural development of various parts of the modern world. The course is taught collaboratively by two social scientists: an anthropologist and a sociologist, offering the opportunity to compare and contrast two distinct disciplinary points of view. It seeks to develop a concept-based understanding of the various dimensions of globalization: economic, political, social, and cultural. At the end of the course students will understand the significance of globalization in the modern world, and be able to compare the approaches of different social sciences.
M 2-5 SPOONER/GUILLEN
Please Note: Registration required for both the lecture and a recitation section.
402 – REC W 2-3 SPOONER
403 – REC W 2-3 SPOONER
404 – REC W 3–4 SPOONER
405 – REC W 3-4 SPOONER
406 – REC F 2-3 SPOONER
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SOCI 041-301 MISTAKES, ERRORS, ACCIDENTS & DISASTERS
Benjamin Franklin Seminar
The purpose of Soci 041 is to provide a basic understanding of some rather ubiquitous social phenomena: mistakes, errors, accidents and disasters. We will look at these misfirings across a number of institutional domains: aviation, nuclear power plants, and medicine. Our goal is to understand how organizations “think” about these phenomena, how they develop strategies of prevention, how these strategies of prevention create new vulnerabilities to different sorts of mishaps, how organizations respond when things go awry, and how they plan for disasters.
At the same time we will be concerned with certain tensions in the sociological view of accidents, errors, mistakes and disasters at the organizational level and at the level of the individual. Errors, accidents, mistakes and disasters are embedded in organizational complexities; as such, they are no one’s fault. At the same time, as we seek explanations for these adverse events, we seek out whom to blame and whom to punish. We will explore throughout the semester the tension between a view that sees adverse events as the result of flawed organizational processes versus a view that sees these events as a result of flawed individuals.
TBA BOSK
SOCI 100-401 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
COLLEGE QUANTITIVE DATA ANALYSIS REQ. DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: HSOC-100
As a science, sociology uses various tools to establish knowledge about the social world, as one step in the process of producing explanatory (and ideally, predictive) theory. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to different sociological methods, including survey research and associated quantitative/statistical analysis, interviewing, ethnography, historical-comparative and archival research, experimentation, and computer simulation. We will review basic mechanics for applying these methods, and discuss the assumptions behind each, and the kind of insight each yields. Students gain hands-on experience in applying several of these methods through class assignments.
MW 3:30-5 STAFF
SOCI 103-401 ASIAN AMERICAN IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: ASAM-001
This class will introduce you to sociological research of Asian American and engage in the “model minority” stereotype. We begin by a brief introduction to U.S. immigration history and sociological theories about assimilation and racial stratification. The class will also cover research on racial and ethnic identity, educational stratification, mass media images, interracial marriage, multiracials, transracial adoption, and the viability of an Asian American panethnic identity. We will also examine the similarities and differences of Asian Americans relative to other minority groups.
TR 10:30-12 KAO
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SOCI 111-401 HEALTH OF POPULATIONS
COLLEGE QUANTITIVE DATA ANALYSIS REQ.
SUBJECT TO APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE ON INSTR PERMISSION NEEDED FROM INSTRUCTOR
CROSS LISTED: HSOC-111
This course develops some of the major measures used to assess the health of populations and uses those measures to consider the major factors that determine levels of health in large aggregates. These factors include the disease environment, medical technology, public health initiatives, and personal behaviors. The approach is comparative and historical and includes attention to differences in health levels among major social groups.
MWF 11-12 PRESTON
SOCI 120-401 SOCIAL STATISTICS
REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR LEC, REC COLLEGE QUANTITIVE DATA ANALYSIS REQ. GEN REQ IV: FRML REAS - CL OF 09 & PRIOR PERMISSION NEEDED FROM INSTRUCTOR
CROSS LISTED: AFRC-120
This course offers a basic introduction to the application/interpretation of statistical analysis in sociology. Upon completion, you should be familiar with a variety of basic statistical techniques that allow examination of interesting social questions. We begin by learning to describe the characteristics of groups, followed by discussion of how to examine and generalize about relationships between the characteristics of groups. Emphasis is placed on the understanding/interpretation of statistics used to describe and make generalizations about group characteristics. In addition to hand calculations, you will also become familiar with using PCs to run statistical tests.
MW 1-2 ALLISON
Please Note: Registration required for both the lecture and a recitation section.
402 – REC F 10-11 STAFF
403 – REC F 11-12 STAFF
SOCI 125-001 CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
This course will cover the founding classics of the sociological tradition including works of Tocqueville, Marx and Engels, Weber, Durkheim, Mauss, Simmel, and G. H. Mead. We will also examine how the major traditions have continued and transformed into theories of conflict, domination, resistance and social change; social solidarity, ritual and symbolism; symbolic interactionist and phenomenological theory of discourse, self and mind.
TR 3-4:30 COLLINS
SOCI 128-401 INTRODUCTION TO DEMOGRAPHIC METHODS
This course provides an introduction to basic demographic concepts, data, indicators, and techniques. The course emphasizes hands-on applications of techniques in the analysis of population dynamics in the U.S. and elsewhere. Students will learn about the main sources of demographic data, including censuses, surveys, and vital statistics, and methods to estimate demographic processes (e.g. mortality, fertility). Students will leave the course with a solid grounding in a) the sources and limitations of demographic data; b) the construction of basic demographic indicators; and c) appropriate use of basic demographic techniques to answer questions about human populations.
TR 10:30 ELO
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SOCI 135-401 LAW & SOCIETY
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: AFRC-135
After introducing students to the major theoretical concepts concerning law and society, significant controversial societal issues that deal with law and the legal systems both domestically and internationally will be examined. Class discussions will focus on issues involving civil liberties, the organization of courts, legislatures, the legal profession and administrative agencies. Although the focus will be on law in the United States, law and society in other countries of Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America will be covered in a comparative context. Readings included research reports, statutes and cases.
TR 4:30-6 FETNI
SOCI 137-401 SOCIOLOGY OF THE MEDIA & POPULAR CULTURE
REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR LEC, REC SOCIETY SECTOR (ALL CLASSES) CROSS LISTED: FOLK-137
This course relies on a variety of sociological perspectives to examine the role of media and popular culture in everyday life, with a particular emphasis on how race, class, gender and religion determine how the media portray individuals and events, and on the effect media has on consumers. Students will be asked to critically examine various examples of media, including magazine advertisements, television shows and commercials, and blogs.
401 - LEC MW 11-12 GRAZIAN
Please Note: Registration required for both the lecture and a recitation section. If you need to switch your recitation section, please make sure there is an available slot BEFORE dropping your section, as the SRS system may drop you from the course altogether. As slots become available, you may register for them through Penn In Touch.
402 – REC W 5-6 STAFF
403 - REC F 11-12 STAFF
404 - REC W 4-5 STAFF
405 - REC W 4-5 STAFF
406 - REC F 1-2 STAFF
407 - REC F 2-3 STAFF
408 - REC W 4-5 STAFF
409 - REC F 1-2 STAFF
410 - REC F 1-2 STAFF
SOCI 200-401 CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SOCIETY SECTOR (ALL CLASSES)
CROSS LISTED: CRIM-200
This course examines the causes and consequences of the millions of decisions made annually by the legally empowered decision-makers of the criminal justice system. The course places students in the role of one decision-maker after another, emphasizing the decisions they would make with all the scientific research on these decisions at their disposal. Research on 15 different decision-makers is examined, from crime victims to police, prosecutors, jurors, judges, wardens, and probation and parole officers. Using a medical mode of evidence-based practice, the course asks students to consider how the results of criminal justice could more effectively reduce the sum of human misery.
TR 3-4:30 MACDONALD
SOCI 221-401 SAMPLE SURVEY METHODS
This course provides a hands-on introduction to survey data collection through lectures, discussions, in-class exercises, and a class survey project. We examine the major planning tasks and considerations necessary for conducting surveys, including substantive issues (problem formulation, study design, questionnaire and interview design, pretesting, sampling), practical issues (proposal-writing and fundraising, interviewer training and field management, coding, and data cleaning and management), and ethical concerns (basic ethical principles in social research, responsibilities to subjects, colleagues, and funders, common ethical dilemmas in survey research, and institutional oversight of research ethics).
TBA STAFF
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SOCI 222-001 FIELD METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
This class is intended as an introduction to the field methods of sociological research, with a focus on ethnographic observation and interviewing. Students will produce original research as part of the course, from data collection through analysis and written results. Students will also read examples of research relying on field methods. Throughout the course we will discuss the strengths, limitations, and ethics of field methods.
T 1:30-4:30 VISCELLI
SOCI 230-402 IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S.
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: ASAM-230
The purpose of this course is to evaluate the treatment, representation, and politics of immigrants in the U.S. with special consideration given to the experiences of Asian immigrants. We will begin with a discussion of immigration as it relates to the racial foundations of national identity and civil society. We will examine the experiences of many immigrant groups, Asian and non-Asian within a broader discussion of nationalism, the politics of citizenship, and what it means to be (come) “American.” To this end, we will relate “the immigrant” to 1) immigration policies; 2) the social and political landscape in which they enter and participate; 3) the legal challenges experienced once in the U.S.; 4) how they are represented and imagined in scholarship, political discourse, and popular culture; 5) their potential for assimilation; and 6) how they are situated in race relations. We will take an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from social sciences, history, cultural studies, critical race theory, and films. Due to time constraints, this course can not cover each and every immigrant group.
TR 9-10:30 NOPPER
SOCI 233-401 CRIMINOLOGY
SOCIETY SECTOR (ALL CLASSES)
CROSS LISTED: CRIM-100
This introductory course examines the multi-disciplinary science of law-making, law-breaking, and law-enforcing. It reviews theories explaining where, when, by whom and against whom crimes happen. Police, courts, prisons, and other institutions are also critically examined. This course meets the general distribution requirement.
M 2-5 ALDER
SOCI 275-401 MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: HSOC-275
This course will give the student an introduction to the sociological study of medicine. Medical sociology is a broad field, covering topics as diverse as the institution and profession of medicine, the practice of medical care, and the social factors that contribute to sickness and well-being. Although we will not explore everything, we will attempt to cover as much of the field as possible through four thematic units: (1) the organization and development of the profession of medicine, (2) the delivery of health-care, especially doctor-patient interaction, (3) the social and cultural factors that affect how illness is defined, and (4) the social causes of illness. The class will emphasize empirical research especially but not only quantitative research.
MWF 10-11 SCHNITTKER
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SOCI 300-301 SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR
THESIS WORKSHOP
Sociology Majors Only
The purpose of this course is to guide senior sociology majors in writing a research proposal for a senior honors thesis. Students will learn about various research approaches, how to write a focused literature review, and kinds of data necessary to answer a wide variety of research questions, including their own. Throughout the course, students will work on designing a research question, generation researchable hypotheses, and coming up with a design for their proposed study. The final paper for this course will be a research proposal that is the basis for students’ independent research project. This course satisfies the research requirement for sociology majors and is designed primarily for seniors who are planning to write an honors thesis.
M 2-5 LEIDNER
SOCI 410-401 EXPERIMENTS IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SEMINARS
Research Seminar
CROSS LISTED: CRIM-410
This seminar focuses on the ongoing data collection of Penn's Jerry Lee Program of Randomized Controlled Trials in Restorative Justice, the largest program of field experiments in the history of criminology. Since 1995, this research program has randomly assigned over 3400 victims and offenders to either conventional justice or restorative conferences of victims, offenders and their families, in Canberra (Australia), London, Northumbria and Thames Valley (all in UK). The offenders have all been willing to acknowledge their guilt to their victims (or the community), and to try to repair the harm they have caused. The seminar’s purpose is to introduce students to the theory and practice of RJ, to discuss findings emerging from the Jerry Lee Program, and to provide students with a major, supervised research experience using extensive observational, interview and criminal offending (self-report) data. Students will learn how to analyze survey data in the context of randomized experiments in justice, as well to understand the conceptual and methodological issues central to experimental criminology.
R 1:30-4:30 STRANG/ANGEL
SOCI 411-401 FIELD RESEARCH IN CRIMINAL COURTS
CROSS LISTED: CRIM-411
The course will serve as an introduction both to qualitative research and to an understanding of the routine workings of the courts in Philadelphia. After a brief discussion of the theoretical underpinnings and practical techniques of ethnography, student’s will undertake supervised field projects leading to the writing of 5000 words long, examined research reports about different aspects of the social organization of the courthouse and court room.
T 1:30-4:30 ROCK
SOCI 420-401 PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN POVERTY
CROSS LISTED: URBS-420
This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to various perspectives and philosophies that have dominated the discourse on urban poverty throughout history. The course is primarily concerned with the ways in which historical, cultural, political, racial, social, geographical, and economic forces have either shaped or been left out of contemporary debates on urban poverty. Of great importance, the course will evaluate competing knowledge systems and their respective implications in terms of the questions of "what can be known" about urban poverty in the contexts of policy circles, academic literature, and the broader social imaginary. We will critically analyze a wide body of literature seeking to theorize urban poverty, ranging from sociological; anthropological/ethnographic; geographical; Marxist; historical; social welfare; and cultural analyses. Primacy will be granted to critical analysis of course readings, particularly with regard to the ways in which various knowledge systems - or "regimes of truth" - create, sustain, and constrict meaning in reference to urban poverty.
T 4:30-7:30 WOLFSON
SOCI 435-401 GLOBALIZATION AND THE CITY
DIST CRS SOCIETY - CL OF 09 AND PRIOR
CROSS LISTED: URBS-457
This course aims to introduce students to basic concepts in the study of transnational urbanism, examining how the new geographies of marginality and centrality that characterize global cities cut across former north-south divides. The course begins with the assumption that transnational movements or ‘flows’ of trade, finance, migration and culture operate in and through a network of linked ‘global’ cities, and that the changes produced by these flows disconnects these cities from the nation-states in which they are embedded. The course then seeks to analyze the changes in technology, communication, and business activities since the early 1970s that have contributed to this accelerated process of circulation, while also exploring its social, cultural, and political implications for urban life. Some dimensions of global cities that are explored in particular included the notion that cities are strategic spaces for the production of the global economy; the emergence of new forms of class and spatial polarization through the linked development of high-income gentrification and low-wage/informal labor; the cultural forms of urban-image making (heritage, museums, film, entertainment) that shape the way in which “the global” is imagined and lived on a daily basis; and the growth of social movement on the part of the urban poor.
W 5-8 HILL
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GRADUATE COURSES
SOCI 535-001 QUANTITATIVE METHODS I
Registration REQUIRED for both the Lecture and Recitation section.
This course is an introduction to the practice of statistics in social and behavioral sciences. It is open to beginning graduate students and--with the permission of the instructor--advanced undergraduates. Topics covered include the description of social science data, in graphical and non-graphical form; correlation and other forms of association, including cross-tabulation; bivariate regression; an introduction to probability theory; the logic of sampling; the logic of statistical inference and significance tests. There is a lecture twice weekly and a mandatory “lab.”
TR 12-1:30 SMITH
201 - REC W 11-12 STAFF
202 - REC W 5-6 STAFF
SOCI 541-401 GENDER, THE LABOR FORCE AND LABOR MARKETS
Drawing from sociology, economics and demography, this course examines the causes and effects of gender differences in labor force participation, earnings and occupation in the United States and in the rest of the developed and developing world. Differences by race, ethnicity and sexual preference are also considered. Theories of labor supply, marriage, human capital and discrimination are explored as explanations for the observed trends. Finally, the course reviews current labor market policies and uses the theories of labor supply, marriage, human capital and discrimination to evaluate their effects on women and men.
MW 10-11:30 MADDEN
SOCI 542-301 WORK AND GENDER
This seminar examines the relevance of gender to the organization and experience of paid and unpaid work. Combining materialist and social constructionist approaches, we will consider occupational segregation, the relation of work and family, gender and class solidarity, the construction of gender through work, race and class variation in work experiences, and related topics.
R 1:30-4:30 LEIDNER
SOCI 555-301 PRO-SEMINAR IN SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
This graduate seminar for first-year graduate students will be a two-semester course covering the major subfields of sociology -- their classical and contemporary theories, current methods and substance.
TBA STAFF
SOCI 595-401 MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY
CROSS LISTED: AFRC-595
This course will begin by surveying approaches to culture that are characteristic of general theory in sociology. It then deals in depth with theories of recorded culture that have developed within the sociology of culture and related disciplines, including the role of the media in constructing social reality, the interpretation and reception of texts, recorded culture and the creation of symbolic boundaries, the social construction of art, organization of culture industries, sacred symbols and political integration, and the relationship between culture and the state.
TBA ZUBERI
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SOCI 602-401 PROSEMINAR IN CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGY
CROSS LISTED: COML-610
An overview of the German, French and Anglophone traditions in sociological theory. The major focus will be on the works of Marx and Engels, Weber, Simmel, Durkheim, and Mead, and on subsequent developments in these classic schools of theory and research.
W 9-12 COLLINS
SOCI 603-301 METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
This course is intended to hone the skills and judgment required in order to conduct independent research in sociology. We will discuss the selection of intellectually strategic research questions and practical research designs. Students will get experience with proposal writing, the process of editing successive drafts of manuscripts, and the oral presentation of work in progress as well as finished research projects. The course is designed to be the context in which master's papers are written. This is a required course for second year graduate students in Sociology.
F 12-2 JACOBS
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SOCI 609-401 BASIC DEMOGRAPHIC METHODS
CROSS LISTED: DEMG-609
The course is designed to introduce students to basic concepts of demographic measurement and modeling used to study changes in population size and composition. The course covers basic measures of mortality, fertility and migration; life table construction; multiple decrement life tables; stable populations; population projections; and age patterns of vital events. Students will learn to apply demographic methods through a series of weekly problem sets.
M 3-6 ELO
SOCI 629-401 SOCIOLOGY OF MASS COMMUNIATIONS
CROSS LISTED: COMM-628
Mass communications viewed from a sociological perspective. An examination of the sociology of the communicator, audience, content, effects, communication as a social process, linkage between personal and mass communication.
R 1-3 WRIGHT
SOCI 633-401 POPULATION PROCESSES I
CROSS LISTED: DEMG-633
This is the first of two courses that serve as an introduction to demographic research. Population Processes I deals with health, mortality, and aging. It aims to introduce students to the most important research issues and findings in these broad areas. Subjects include the epidemiologic transition, sociodemographic differences in health, age patterns of mortality and morbidity, and health policy.
T 1:30-4:30 PRESTON/SCHNITTKER
SOCI 680-401 PRO SEMINAR IN CRIMINOLOGY
CROSS LISTED: CRIM-600
A systematic introduction to social theories of crime, deviance and control, organized chronologically and intended to acquaint students with the principal sociological debates in criminological theory from the precursors of the ‘Chicago School’ to contemporary cultural criminology.
M 11-2 ROCK
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G S COURSES
Note on registering for CGS courses:
Courses offered through the College of General Studies (CGS) are open to students in the College of Arts and Sciences, but CGS imposes some restrictions on registration. During the pre-registration period, most in CGS classes are reserved for CGS students. Once all of the non-reserved places are filled, College students will find that they cannot register without permission. Please be aware that the Sociology Department cannot grant permission and/or override the restrictions CGS has imposed. These registration restrictions will be lifted on the second day of classes. At that time, College students will be able to register for any CGS courses that still have openings but must go through CGS to do this.
SOCI 001-601 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
This course is designed to introduce students to the sociological perspective. Human behavior and attitudes are profoundly influenced by group dynamics and social structures. In this course, we will first examine the theoretical perspectives underlying sociological research, as well as the research methods used to systematically uncover social problems. We will then turn our attention to more substantive areas of the field including the construction of race, gender, and disability status; social class inequality; urban sociology; and the sociology of culture. This course will look at the ways individuals influence and are influenced by social structures. In addition to gaining a broad understanding of patterns in social life, students will learn to think critically about the world around us.
TR 4:30-6 BROWN
SOCI 004-601 THE FAMILY
This introductory course will focus on examining the contemporary American family from a sociological perspective. We will begin by learning how to evaluate the family, through examining the history of kinship, sociological theories of family, and empirical research methods used to study the family.
The course will then focus on three areas: first, we will examine family formation and dissolution, including dating, marriage and cohabitation, childbearing, adoption, divorce and stepfamilies. Second we will turn to the study of family diversity by class, race, immigration status, sexual orientation, and grandparent-led families. Finally, we will examine gender in the family, including gender roles, violence in the family, and work-family issues. Students will write an original research paper on a family-related topic of their choice, produced in stages over the course of the semester.
MW 5:30-7 KUPERBERG
SOCI 007-601 POPULATION & SOCIETY
This course is an introduction to the major topics in the study of population and the field of demography. We will cover past and current trends in population growth and composition in both developed and developing countries and focus on the socio-economic determinants and consequences of these trends. Throughout the course we will focus on matters that have contemporary significance such as AIDS, the environment, immigration, urbanization, population aging, the disease burden among the poor in developing countries, and population policies related to reproductive health and fertility. The main objective of the class is to build population literacy. Demographic statistics are often used by politicians, the media, and other academics as support for their arguments. This course will give you the tools to understand and critically assess the use of population statistics and trends.
MW 6-7:30 MARGOLIS
SOCI 122-601 SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
In this course, we will look at human behavior through the lens of gender. Gender is an important organizing principle of human behavior and attitudes. In this course, we will first examine the theoretical perspectives underlying how gender is socially constructed and how structural constraints limit individual choice. We will then focus on how gender operates throughout the life course and in social institutions such as the educational system, the family, and the labor market. Finally, we will look at how gender inequality intersects with race and class inequality to influence identity, interaction, and social structure. In addition to reading and discussing material for the course, students will have the opportunity to design and implement their own qualitative research project that investigates gendered patterns of social life.
M 5–8 TURNEY
SOCI 137-601 SOCIOLOGY OF THE MEDIA & POPULAR CULTURE
This course relies on a variety of sociological perspectives to examine the media and popular culture in everyday life, with a particular emphasis on the importance on the organization of the mass media industries, the relationship between cultural consumption and status, and the social significance of leisure activities from sports to shopping. Specific course topics include the branding of Nike and Starbucks; the growth of consumer-driven social movements like Fair Trade and Bono’s “Buy Red” campaign; and the “McDonaldization” of culture.
TR 6:30-8 BROWN
SOCI 235-601 LAW AND SOCIAL CHANGE
Beginning with discussion of various perspectives on social change and law, this course then examines in detail the interdependent relationship between changes in legal and societal institutions. Emphasis will be placed on (1) how and when law can be an instrument for social change, and (2) how and when social change can cause legal change. In the assessment of this relationship, the laws of the United States and other countries as well as international law, will be studied. Throughout the course, discussions will include legal controversies relevant to social change such as civil liberties, gender and the law, and issues of nation-building. A comparative framework will be used in the analysis of this interdependent relationship between law and social change.
T 6:30-9:30 FETNI
SOCI 275-601 MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY
This course is an introduction to major topics in the sociology of medicine, with an emphasis on current American medical practice. A primary aim of the course is to use a sociological perspective to investigate our shared/contested understandings of illness and health, as well as the evolving medical responses to these human conditions. We will discuss the structure of the medical professions, social organization of hospitals, social and cultural influences on doctor-patient communication and decision-making, and the history and social context of bioethics. The course will trace the influence of race, gender and economics on healthcare as we explore issues of legitimacy, training, professional socialization, patient autonomy, and barriers to access and provision of health services. We will pay particular attention to the current political debates surrounding the provision of healthcare to the uninsured in the United States. W 6-9 JOYCE
Note on registering for CGS courses:
Courses offered through the College of General Studies are open to students in the College of Arts and Sciences, but CGS imposes some restrictions on registration. During the pre-registration period, most in CGS classes are reserved for CGS students. Once all of the non-reserved places are filled, College students will find that they cannot register without permission. Please be aware that the Sociology Department cannot grant permission and/or override the restrictions CGS has imposed. These registration restrictions will be lifted on the second day of classes. At that time, College students will be able to register for any CGS courses that still have openings but must go through CGS to do this.
CGS’s phone number is 215-898-7326.
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Last Modified:
14-Mar-2008
For updates, comments please contact:
saunderc@ssc.upenn.edu
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