Sociology Course Descriptions

2011-12 General Catalog

226 College Eight
(831) 459-4306
http://sociology.ucsc.edu

Program DescriptionFaculty


Lower-Division Courses

1. Introduction to Sociology. F,S
A systematic study of social groups ranging in size from small to social institutions to entire societies. Organized around the themes of social interaction, social inequality, and social change. Fulfills lower-division major requirement. (General Education Code(s): IS.) C. Reinarman, F. Guerra

10. Issues and Problems in American Society. W,S
Exploration of nature, structure, and functionings of American society. Explores the following: social institutions and economic structure; the successes, failures, and intractabilities of institutions; general and distinctive features of American society; specific problems such as race, sex, and other inequalities; urban-rural differences. Fulfills lower-division major requirement. (General Education Code(s): IS.) J. Reardon, M. Greenberg, D. Gould

15. World Society. F,W
Introduction to comparative and historical sociology. Focuses on the global integration of human society. Examines social changes such as industrialization, globalization, colonial rule, and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Uses social theory (including ideas from Marx, Weber, and Adam Smith) to explore the making of institutions like the nation-state, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Fulfills lower-division major requirement. (General Education Code(s): CC, IS, E.) B. Crow, S. Mc Kay, P. Lubeck

30A. Introduction to Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies (3 credits). F
Teaches how to use social-enterprise methodologies to transfer information-communication technologies (ICT) to community and non-governmental organizations. Concepts include: globalization, info-exclusion, social justice, information revolution, global civil-society networks, social entrepreneurship, "open source" resources, web design, databases, networking. Requires organizational assessment. Enrollment limited to 50. P. Lubeck

30B. Designing ICT Projects for Social Enterprise (3 credits). W
Covers designing "doable" ICT-based projects to support the goals of community and NGOs. Topics include: social entrepreneurship/enterprise case studies; step-by-step project design; integrating social and technical solutions; project management. Technical topics include: Internet resources; advanced web/database design; computer networks/maintenance. Enrollment limited to 50. P. Lubeck

30C. Project Implementation and Grant Writing for Social Entrepreneurs (3 credits). S
Covers conversion of ICT project into a fundable grant proposal for social justice, integration of social activism, entrepreneurship and justice, and implementation of project. Topics include: funders, proposal design, field methods, project assessment, innovative ICT applications, action research methods. Enrollment limited to 50. P. Lubeck

33. Designing Community Information Technology Centers. *
Examines theory and practice of designing and constructing community information technology centers for the U.S.A. and developing world through hands-on projects. Covers topics in social design, networking, open-source software, computer management, computing policy, VolP, Wi-Fi, power sources, and project management. Courses 30A or 30B or 30C recommended as preparation. Enrollment limited to 25. P. Lubeck

42. Student-Directed Seminar. F,W,S
Seminars on selected topics taught at various times by upper-division students under faculty supervision. (See course 192.) Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific offerings. The Staff

80V. Understanding Agile Web Development for Social Justice. *
Focuses on development of web applications using agile methodologies and fundamentals of web programming and/or web UI design. Topics include: free/open-source software movement, social computing, and practices of digital justice. Focus is on ruby language, design principles, storyboarding, source control, testing, and documentation. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code(s): T7-Natural Sciences or Social Sciences.) P. Lubeck

93. Field Study. F,W,S
Ordinarily call numbers for this course will not be issued after the first week of instruction. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. The Staff

99. Tutorial. F,W,S
Directed reading and research. Petitions may be obtained from the Sociology Department Office. Ordinarily call numbers for this course will not be issued after the first week of instruction. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

99F. Tutorial (2 credits). F,W,S
Directed reading and research. Petitions may be obtained from the Sociology Department Office. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Ordinarily call numbers for this course are not issued after the first week of instruction. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

Upper-Division Courses

103A. Statistical Methods (7 credits). W
Fundamental concepts in statistics. Introduction to measuring causation. Learn to use computer to analyze data efficiently. Emphasis on practical applications. Enrollment restricted to sociology, proposed sociology, and combined sociology majors. (General Education Code(s): SR, Q.) D. Takagi

103B. The Logic and Methods of Social Inquiry (7 credits). S
The first part of the course focuses on basic ethical, political, and logical issues in social scientific inquiry. The second part develops a wide range of skills and methods appropriate to actual research. Course 103A, Statistical Methods, is strongly recommended. Prerequisite(s): satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements; enrollment restricted to sociology and sociology combined majors, minors and proposed majors. (General Education Code(s): W, Q.) F. Guerra

105A. Classical Sociological Theory. F
This intensive survey course examines the intellectual origins of the sociological tradition, focusing on changing conceptions of social order, social change, and the trends observed in the development of Western civilization in the modern era. Readings are all taken from original texts and include many of the classical works in social theory with special emphasis on the ideas of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim which constitute the core of the discipline. Required for sociology majors planning on studying abroad (EAP). Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors in sociology, proposed sociology, the combined Latin American and Latino studies/sociology, and the proposed combined Latin American and Latino studies/sociology majors and sociology minors. A. Szasz

105B. Contemporary Sociological Theory. W
Surveys major theoretical perspectives currently available in the discipline including functionalism, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, conflict theory, critical theory, neo-Marxism, feminist theory. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors in sociology, proposed sociology, the combined Latin American and Latino studies/sociology, and the proposed combined Latin American and Latino studies/sociology majors and sociology minors. A. Szasz

111. Family and Society. F
Focuses on the interaction between family and society by considering the historical and social influences on family life and by examining how the family unit affects the social world. Readings draw on theory, history, and ethnographic materials. W. Martyna

113. Political Sociology. *
An intensive examination of major substantive monographs representing pluralist, elite, and class theories of the state in industrialized capitalist democracies. The Staff

114. Sports and Society. *
Explores the interconnections between sports and society using sociological theories and methods. Topics include class, race, and gender; mass media and popular culture; political economy; education and socialization; leisure patterns (participants and spectators); globalization and cross-national comparisons. The Staff

115. Sustainable Design as Social Change. *
Using current sociological understandings of knowledge-making and technological innovation, students learn sustainable project design as collaborative "open" processes. Includes computer-assisted, active-learning team workshop exercises and laboratories in both face-to-face and virtual e-learning environments. Interdisciplinary web-based laboratories also introduce basic skills necessary to understanding the technical aspects of sustainability. Enrollment by permission of instructor. (Formerly Sustainability and Social Change.) Enrollment limited to 60. (General Education Code(s): PE-T.) E. Du Puis

116. Communication, Media, and Culture. F
Examines media institutions, communication technologies, and their related cultural expressions. Focuses on specific ways the media—including media studies and criticism—operates as social and cultural factor. Contemporary theory or equivalent in related fields recommended. (Formerly "Communication and Mass Media.") Enrollment restricted to upper-division students. H. Gray

118. Popular Music, Social Practices, and Cultural Politics. *
Considers the role of popular music as a site of contemporary social practices and cultural politics. Examines the institutional organization and production of popular music, its cultural meanings, and its social uses by different communities and social formations. Also examines popular music as a vehicle through which major cultural and political debates about identity, sexuality, community, and politics are staged and performed. Prerequisite(s): course 105A or 105B. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. The Staff

119. Sociology of Knowledge. *
Focus includes the following three areas: historical examination of sociological theories of knowledge with reference to Durkheim, Weber, Mannheim, and others; examination of black and feminist perspectives within sociology; examination of whether and how "outside" observers can analytically grasp the inner workings of other cultures. Prerequisite(s): course 103B or 105A or 105B. The Staff

120. Gender, Sexuality, and Cultural Politics. W
Focuses on the role feminist discourses play in cultural politics emphasizing sex, sexuality, and sex work as related to gender, race , and class. Examines the relationship between academic and popular feminisms. Interrogates post-feminism, third-wave feminism, and generational differences in feminisms. (Formerly Feminisms and Cultural Politics .) Prerequisite(s): course 129 recommended. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. J. Bettie

121. Sociology of Health and Medicine. F
Analysis of the current health care "crises" and exploration of the social relationships and formal organizations which constitute the medical institution. Study of the political, economic, and cultural factors which affect the recognition, distribution, and response to illness. J. Reardon

121B. Comparative Health-Care Systems and Policies. *
Critical examination of the American health-care system, its history, and the interests it serves; and an analysis of the health-care systems of comparable nations. The Staff

122. The Sociology of Law. W
Explores the social forces that shape legal outcomes and the ways law, in turn, influences social life. Traces the history and political economy of American law; the relation between law and social change; how this relation is shaped by capitalism and democracy; and how class, race, and gender are expressed in welfare and regulatory law. (Also offered as Legal Studies 122. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) C. Reinarman

123. Law, Crime, and Social Justice. *
Blends the latest research in criminology with that from social stratification, inequality, and social welfare policy with the objective of exploring the relationship between levels of general social justice and specific patterns of crime and punishment. The focus is primarily on the U.S. although many other industrialized democracies are compared. An introductory course in sociology is recommended as preparation. (Also offered as Legal Studies 123. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) The Staff

124. Visual Sociology. *
Learn to critically consume documentary, ethnographic film, photojournalism, and the genre of realism as these methods are increasingly used to describe the social world. Addresses theoretical, methodological, practical, and ethical issues of creating visual media. Optional media lab teaches students how to create visual products as well. (Formerly Visual Ethnography ) Prerequisite(s): Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. J. Bettie

124L. Visual Sociology Media Lab (2 credits). *
Teaches the basics of digital narrative/storytelling, basic use of digital video cameras, digital video editing in iMovie and/or Final Cut Pro, and use of microphones and sound. Students use these skills to aid in creation of their final course project. (Formerly Visual Ethnography Media Lab .) Concurrent enrollment in course 124 is required. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. J. Bettie

125. Society and Nature. *
A healthy society requires a stable and sustainable relationship between society and nature. Covering past, present, and future, the course covers environmental history of the U.S., the variety and extent of environmental problems today, and explores their likely development in our lifetimes. (General Education Code(s): PE-E.) A. Szasz

126. Sociology of Sex. *
Explores social and cultural aspects of human sexuality and reproduction, including how and why meanings and behaviors are contested. Analyzes sexuality and reproduction as forms of social and political control as well as cultural expression and self-determination. Enrollment restricted to upper-division students. Enrollment limited to 90. J. Bettie

127. Drugs in Society. S
Explores the history of the use and abuse of consciousness-altering substances like alcohol and other drugs. Social-psychological theories of addiction are reviewed in tandem with political-economic analyses to identify the social conditions under which the cultural practices involved in drug use come to be defined as public problems. An introductory sociology course is recommended prior to taking this course. (Also offered as Legal Studies 127. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) C. Reinarman

128. Law and Politics in Contemporary Japan and East Asian Societies. W
Introduction to contemporary analysis of Japan's race relations, ethnic conflicts, and a government's failure to restore remedial justice for war victims in Japan, Asia, and the U.S. Specific issues include comfort women, national or state narratives on Hiroshima, forced labor during World War II, and Haydon legislation that allows war victims to sue Japanese government and corporations in California. (Also offered as Legal Studies 126. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Enrollment limited to 30. H. Fukurai

128I. Race and Justice. F
An introduction to comparative and historical analyses of the relations between race and criminal justice in the U.S. Emphasis on examinations of structural mechanisms that help maintain and perpetuate racial inequality in law, criminal justice, and jury trials. (Formerly Race and Criminal Justice ) (Also offered as Legal Studies 128I. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Enrollment restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Enrollment limited to 120. H. Fukurai

128J. The World Jury on Trial. *
Adoption of the jury and its varied forms in different nations provides ideal opportunities to examine differences between systems of popular legal participation. Course considers reasons why the right to jury trial is currently established in Japan or Asian societies, but abandoned or severely curtailed in others. American jury contrasted with other forms of lay participation in the legal process. (Also offered as Legal Studies 128J. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Enrollment restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Enrollment limited to 30. H. Fukurai

128M. International Law and Global Justice. S
Examines war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the evolution and role of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Examines the evolution of the concept of international law, the rationale for its birth and existence, roots of international conflicts and genocides, possible remedies available to victims, mechanisms for the creation and enforcement of international legal order, as well as the role of colonialism, migration, povery, race/ethnic conflicts, gender, and international corporations in creating and maintaining conflicts and wars. (Also offered as Legal Studies 128M. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 30. H. Fukurai

129. Popular Culture and Cultural Studies. *
Examines the hidden politics of popular pleasure, studying the workings of domination and transgression in popular culture and everyday life. Explores not only media representations but cultural practices as well. Examines both cultural production and consumption. Considers how hegemonic discourses render the politics of resistance invisible. (Formerly Popular Culture. ) Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. J. Bettie

130. Sociology of Food. *
Following food from mouth to dirt, explores the politics, economy, and culture of eating, feeding, buying, selling, and growing food. Topics cover both the political economy of the food system as well as how body and nature are contested categories at either "end" of this system. E. Du Puis

131. Media, Marketing, and Culture. W
Explores relationship between modern forms of cultural production and the economy and society in which they emerge. Course reads, screens, and discusses variety of the cultural texts: from the historical and theoretical to the commercial, popular, and counter-cultural. (Formerly Culture, Economy, and Power.) Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. M. Greenberg

132. Sociology of Science and Technology. *
Reviews social and cultural perspectives on science and technology, including functionalist, Marxist, Kuhnian, social constructionist, ethnographic, interactionist, anthropological, historical, feminist, and cultural studies perspectives. Topics include sociology of knowledge, science as a social problem, lab studies, representations, practice, controversies, and biomedical knowledge and work. Prerequisite(s): course 103B, 105A, or 105B. Enrollment limited to 20. The Staff

133. Currents in African American Cultural Politics. *
Takes as its subject, the dialogues, debates, conceptions, and strategies of self representation produced by blacks in the U.S. and Atlantic world in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. These issues are examined through the insights of feminist theory, cultural studies, media studies, sociology, and African American studies. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. (General Education Code(s): E.) H. Gray

134. Television and the Nation. W
The role of American network television in the production of the post-war American national imagination is our focus. Our approach will explore issues of media power, especially television's industrial apparatus, its network structure, its strategies of representation in relationship to the construction of the image of the nation, and the meaning of citizens, consumers, and audiences. Prerequisite(s): satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. (General Education Code(s): W.) H. Gray

136. Social Psychology. W
Major theories and concepts in sociological study of social psychology. Topics include identity and social interaction, deviance, sociology of emotions, social narratives, and the social construction of reality. (General Education Code(s): PE-H.) M. Millman

137. Deviance and Conformity. W
Why certain social acts are considered threatening and how individuals or groups become stigmatized. Sociological analysis of the institutions and processes of social control and the experience of becoming deviant and living with a stigmatized identity. Introductory course in sociology recommended. (General Education Code(s): PE-H.) F. Guerra

140. Social Psychology of Power. *
This course uses historical, sociological, and social psychological materials to introduce students to issues concerning class and power, religion and power, minorities and power, women and power, the rise of the New Right, and the successes and failures of the Left. Prerequisite(s): course 1, 10, or 15 or Psychology 40. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. G. Domhoff

141. Group Process. F
The study of group development and interpersonal behavior based primarily on observation of the class discussion group. Readings are drawn from psychology and fiction as well as from sociology. Offered in alternate academic years. Enrollment restricted to senior sociology majors. Enrollment limited to 18. M. Millman

142. Language and Social Interaction. W
Concerns the routine and taken-for-granted activities that make up our interactions with one another, consisting in large part—but not exclusively—of verbal exchanges. Emphasis on the socially situated character of communication, whether intimacy between two people or dominance of a group. An introductory sociology course is recommended prior to taking this course. Enrollment restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. W. Martyna

143. Conversation Analysis. W
A working seminar, involving the analysis of actual conversations. Covers fundamental ethical, conceptual, and methodological issues that arise in the collection of conversational data, as well as the skills and techniques of conversation analysis. Given our operating assumption, that talk is a primary means of constructing social identities, there is a heavy thematic emphasis on gender, status, and power in conversation. Prerequisite(s): course 142 or Psychology 80E. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 20. C. West

144. Sociology of Women. S
Analysis of the social significance and social production of gender. Some consideration of how sex differences have developed. Major emphasis on the impact of gender as a categorical imperative in the present social context. In this context, the course is also about sexual segregation, sexual inequality, and the dynamics of interpersonal power. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. An introductory sociology course is recommended. The Staff

145. Sociology of Men. *
Examines conflicting views on the development and state of modern masculinity as adaptation, transitional phase, or pathology. Did men lose the "gender war"? Do boys need rescuing? What are common and divergent social experiences of men within race, class, gender, culture, era? An introductory sociology course recommended. W. Martyna

146. Sociology of Violence, War, and Peace. *
Explores key issues, theories, and topics in the study of violence, war, and peace. Addresses aspects of aggression, personal violence, political violence, and war. In addition, various strategies for the prevention of violence and war are examined. The Staff

149. Sex and Gender. S
Modern analyses of sexuality and gender show personal life closely linked to large-scale social structures: power relations, economic processes, structures of emotion. Explores these links, examining questions of bodily difference, femininity and masculinity, structures of inequality, the state in sexual politics, and the global re-making of gender in modern history. Recommended as background: any lower-division sociology course. W. Martyna

150. Sociology of Death and Dying. S
Explores contemporary, historical, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives on the social psychology of death and dying. Cultural norms and institutional contexts are studied, along with the individual experience, and the ways in which our perspectives on death and dying influence our experiences of life and living. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. W. Martyna

152. Body and Society. F
Critically examines the place of the human body in contemporary society. Focuses on the social and cultural construction of bodies, including how they are gendered, racialized, sexualized, politicized, represented, colonized, contained, controlled, and inscribed. Discusses relationship between embodiment, lived experiences, and social action. Focuses on body politics in Western society and culture, especially the United States. An introductory sociology course is recommended prior to taking this course. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 50. F. Guerra

153. Sociology of Emotions. S
Examines sociological approaches to the understanding of emotions and the application of these approaches to work, learning, interpersonal relationships, health and illness, sports, and other aspects of everyday life. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. M. Millman

154. Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Research. *
Examines a variety of theoretical, methodological, and substantive approaches to cross-national and cross-cultural research. Focuses on the importance and variety of cross-national and cross-cultural studies. Prerequisite(s): course 103B. Enrollment limited to 20. The Staff

155. Political Consciousness. *
Explores the relationship between consciousness, ideology, and political behaviors from voting to rebellion. Special attention is given to the lived experience and the identity interests that complicate the nexus of class position and political ideology. An introductory sociology course is recommended as preparation. G. Domhoff

156. U.S. Latina/o Identities: Centers and Margins. F
Explores historical and contemporary constructions of Latina/o identities and experiences in U.S. Particular emphasis placed on transcultural social contexts, racial formations, and intersections with other identities including sexuality and gender. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 50. (General Education Code(s): ER, E.) The Staff

157. Sexualities and Society. W
Explores controversies in the sociology of sexuality. Focuses on tensions and disagreements that characterize debates over sex and society, and attempts to identify political and theoretical issues at stake in these debates. Enrollment limited to 30. D. Gould

158. Politics of Sex Work and Erotic Labor. S
Examines sex work in an historical and cultural context, considering how it has changed over time. Considers the relationship of pornography, exotic dance, and selling sex on the Internet to racialization, queer politics, globalization, and tourism. Employs theories and methods of cultural studies in rethinking historical debates on sex work. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. J. Bettie

163. Global Corporations and National States. *
Examines the nature and development of the capitalist world system since 1945. Emphasis is on the power of multinational corporations as managers of the world system and the response of states: role of multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations. H. Shapiro

165. World Systems Perspective. *
Seminar on the intellectual origins and contemporary exponents of the world-systems perspective in the social sciences: Marx, Braudel, Polanyi, Arrighi, Wallerstein. Prerequisite(s): courses 105A and 105B or permission of instructor. The Staff

166. Economics for Non-Economists. *
Fosters economic literacy among students who are not economics majors but are interested in the political and social ramifications of economic change. Emphasizes economic institutions and policy and is taught by case-study method, which requires active student participation. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 40. H. Shapiro

167. Development and Underdevelopment. F
Examines contemporary debates about development in the Third World: alternative meanings of development, recent work on the impact of colonial rule, how some economies have industrialized, ideas about agrarian change, and recent research on paths out of poverty. Students work in pairs to examine a development in one country since World War II. The Staff

168. Social Justice. *
What is social justice? People answer this question differently, depending upon their sociological perspective. Using a combination of political philosophy and sociological studies, explore five perspectives on social justice within the Western sociological tradition: utilitarianism, Marxism, liberal egalitarianism, communitarianism, and pluralism. Students pick a topic and learn to articulate different visions of socially just change based on these perspectives. Prerequisite(s): course 105A. Enrollment limited to 60. E. Du Puis

169. Social Inequality. F
A survey of theories and systems of social stratification focusing on such phenomena as race, class, power, and prestige. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. (General Education Code(s): E.) The Staff

170. Ethnic and Status Groups. *
Examines the enduring and changing status of ethnic and other visible minority groups in the United States, e.g., Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, and immigrants, with comparative materials drawn from other societies. An introductory course in ethnicity and race is recommended as preparation. Satisfies American History and Institutions Requirement. (General Education Code(s): E.) The Staff

171. Exploring Global Inequality. *
Seminar focusing on readings of key texts and recent research papers on several dimensions of global inequality (material, health, gender, cultural, migration) to find innovative ways of understanding the connections among different dimensions of inequality and of visualizing inequality in digital media. Students prepare visual presentations on contemporary social inequalities suitable for an online (for example, http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/) or print atlas. Enrollment restricted to seniors. Enrollment limited to 30. B. Crow

172. Sociology of Social Movements. *
Through readings on social movements that span the 20th century, course examines the causes of popular mobilizations, their potential for rapid social change, and the theories developed to understand and explain their role in modern social life. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 40. (General Education Code(s): PE-H.) D. Gould

173. Water. S
Analyzes access to clean water, both in the American West and global South. Reviews water quality, pivotal role of water in settlement and society, history and contemporary inequalities, water supplies, international conflict over water, climate change, and human use of water. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 60. (General Education Code(s): PE-E.) B. Crow

174. Twenty-First-Century African American Social Structure. *
A sociological overview of African American society in the 21st century. The changing patterns of social/cultural organization, class structure, and modes of political action are analyzed. This analysis is located within the framework of migration, urbanization, and social struggle among black Americans. Prerequisite(s): course 10 or 20. (General Education Code(s): E.) The Staff

176. Women and Work. *
Examines the history of women and work; women's current conditions of work and political, economic, and social factors affecting these conditions; means by which women may shape working conditions including contributing leadership, developing policies, building unity, and creating alliances. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. The Staff

176A. Work and Society. S
Addresses how work is organized and shapes life changes. Covers: the history of paid work; the impact of technology; race/class/gender at work; professional and service work; work and family; collective responses to work; and challenges of work in a globalizing economy. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. S. Mc Kay

177. Urban Sociology. S
Historical and contemporary examination of urban life including community, race, geography, urban and suburban cultures and lifestyles, stratification, housing, crime, economic and environmental issues, demographic changes, and global urbanization. Enrollment restricted to junior and senior sociology majors. Enrollment limited to 60. The Staff

177A. Latinos/as and the American Global City. F
Examines roles of emerging Latino/a majorities in urban centers across the U.S. Explores the "Latinization" of U.S. cities and various factors affecting the life chances of Latinos/as including, but not limited to, immigration, segregation, social movements, and other forms of political participation. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 40. The Staff

177G. Global Cities. W
Explores how "global cities" have facilitated increasing integration of the diverse cultures and economies of the world. Using historical, sociological, and comparative methods, analyzes how these spaces both enable and constrain transnational flows of capital, labor, information, and culture. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. M. Greenberg

178. Sociology of Social Problems. S
Views "problems" in society not as given but as social constructs. Examines the ways in which conditions in society become identified and defined as problems and consequences that follow from such a process. F. Guerra

179. Nature, Poverty, and Progress: Dilemmas of Development and Environment. *
Concerns about environmental change, including global warming, threats to the ozone layer, and industrial pollution, raise questions about Third World development. Simple views of the relation between society and nature, such as blaming population growth, industrialization, or poor people, seem to preclude higher living standards. Uses debates and case studies to explore more subtle and optimistic views of social-natural relations. B. Crow

179L. Nature, Poverty, and Progress Laboratory. *
For enrollees in course 179, this optional lab provides opportunity to research ideas and produce a rough business plan for green enterprise of choice. Examples include compostable packaging, gray water systems, sustainable manufacturing, solar-powered submarines, green consulting, and other enterprises. Concurrent enrollment in course 179 required. Enrollment limited to 20. B. Crow

180. Social Movements of the 1960s. *
Examines the roots, development, and political outcomes of black civil rights organizations during the Sixties. Explores social and structural forces, mobilization of black communities, strategies and tactics used, nature of the relationships between various civil rights organizations, unity and disunity among organizations, leadership gains, and impact on race relations in the U.S. Enrollment restricted to junior and senior sociology and combined sociology/Latin American and Latino studies majors. Enrollment limited to 45. D. Gould

181. A Sociology of Place: The California Coast. *
Examines the California coast, including important social, political, cultural, and environmental aspects of this most important place. Lectures, readings, discussion, and class assignments examine the history, development, and future of the California coast. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limited to 45. The Staff

184. Hunger and Famine. *
Why do famines happen? Why are some hungry and some over-fed? Recent advances in the understanding of food crises and chronic undernutrition are the focus of this course. B. Crow

185. Environmental Inequality. W
Modern society not only assaults nature, it does so in ways that reproduce existing social inequalities. Reviews research on disproportionate exposure to risks and hazards, especially along dimensions of class and race, and examines the environmental justice movement. Enrollment restricted to junior and senior sociology and environmental studies students. Course 125 recommended as preparation. Enrollment limited to 42. (General Education Code(s): PE-E.) A. Szasz

187. Feminist Theory. *
Examination of shifts in 20th- and 21st-century feminist theory and epistemology. Considers various deconstructive challenges to second wave feminism based on the politics of race, ethnicity, nation, sexuality, and class. Focus changes regularly. Prerequisite(s): course 105B, and either course 144 or 149 or Feminist Studies 1 or 100. Enrollment limited to 35. D. Gould

188. Religion and Social Change. *
Uses historical-comparative method to explore role of religion in global and local social movements. Case studies include historical analysis of the civil rights movement, Islamic movements, liberation theology, and millenarian movements. Topics vary annually. Recommended for social science and history majors. (General Education Code(s): E.) P. Lubeck

188A. Social Change in the Global Economy. W
Explores local dimensions of globalization, focusing on experiencing more global divisions of labor in both industrialized and developing countries. Themes include: economic integration and dislocation; new forms of governance; globalizing consumption and culture; gender; and popular resistance. Enrollment restricted to juniors and seniors. (General Education Code(s): CC.) The Staff

188G. Global Islam: Politics, Movements, Discourses. F
Historical sociology of Muslim political and cultural movements as a global phenomena. Topics include: survey of Muslim globalization processes, Muslim political theory, Shari'a, Sufi networks, economic institutions, Islamic nationalism contemporary social movements, Muslim response to imperialism, Islamic revival, Muslim civil society, and the role of women in contemporary Muslim politics. P. Lubeck

190. Proseminar.
The Staff

191. Sociology Teaching Practicum. F,W,S
Under the supervision of the instructor, the student works with a group of students in a lower-division course, leading discussions, explaining material, reading and marking submissions, consulting individually and/or in other ways assisting in the teaching of a course. Interview and selection by professor required. Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and excellent performance in core courses in the major. Enrollment restricted to senior sociology majors. The Staff

192. Directed Student Teaching. F,W,S
Teaching of a lower-division seminar under faculty supervision. (See course 42.) Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. The Staff

193. Field Study. F,W,S
Provides for (department-sponsored) individual field study in the vicinity of the campus under the direct supervision of a faculty sponsor (as opposed to course 198 where faculty supervision is by correspondence). Up to three such courses may be taken for credit in any one quarter. Ordinarily call numbers for this course will not be issued after the first week of instruction. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

193F. Field Study (2 credits). F,W,S
Provides for department-sponsored individual field study in the vicinity of campus under the direct supervision of a faculty sponsor. May not be counted toward major requirements. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

194. Group Tutorial. F,W,S
Provides a means for a small group of students to study a particular topic in consultation with a faculty sponsor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

194F. Group Tutorial (2 credits). F,W,S
Small group study of a particular topic in consultation with a faculty sponsor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

195A. Senior Thesis. F,W,S
Preparation of a senior thesis over one, two, or three quarters, beginning in any quarter. The senior thesis satisfies the comprehensive requirement. Course is for independent thesis research and writing. Courses may be taken consecutively or concurrently. Prerequisite(s): course 103B. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. The Staff

195B. Senior Thesis. F,W,S
Preparation of a senior thesis over one, two, or three quarters, beginning in any quarter. The senior thesis satisfies the comprehensive requirement. Course is for independent thesis research and writing. Courses may be taken consecutively or concurrently. Prerequisite(s): course 103B. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. The Staff

195C. Senior Thesis. F,W,S
Preparation of a senior thesis over one, two, or three quarters, beginning in any quarter. The senior thesis satisfies the comprehensive requirement. Course is for independent thesis research and writing. Courses may be taken consecutively or concurrently. Completion of course 195C (completion of the thesis) satisfies the W general education requirement. Prerequisite(s): course 103B and satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code(s): W.) The Staff

196A. Capstone: The Sociologist as Public Intellectual (3 credits). S
Students hear a selected group of faculty discuss their current research and how that research furthers public understanding and discussion of some vital contemporary social issue. Enrollment restricted to junior and senior sociology majors. H. Gray

196G. Project Practicum: Global Information and Social Enterprise. F,W,S
Project summary and evaluation are required for completion of minor in global information and social enterprise studies (GISES). Projects require approval in advance by director of GISES. Completed projects must be uploaded electronically on the web site or archive of the global information internship program. Prerequisite(s): courses 30A, 30B, and 30C. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

198. Independent Field Study. F,W,S
Provides for (department-sponsored) individual study program off campus for which faculty supervision is not in person (e.g., supervision is by correspondence). Up to three such courses may be taken for credit in any one quarter. Ordinarily call numbers for this course will not be issued after the first week of instruction. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

199. Tutorial. F,W,S
Advanced directed reading and research. Petitions may be obtained from the Sociology Department Office. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

199F. Tutorial (2 credits). F,W,S
Advanced directed readings and research. Petitions may be obtained from the Sociology Department Office. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

Graduate Courses

201. The Making of Classical Theory. F
Examines the establishment of "theory" in the discipline of sociology. Introduces students to close readings and analysis of a core selection of social theory. Problematizes the construction, maintenance, and reproduction of a theoretical canon in sociology. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology and by permission number. Enrollment limited to 20. M. Greenberg

202. Contemporary Sociological Theory. W
Intensive survey of major tendencies in modern social thought, including functionalism, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, critical theory, structuralism, phenomenology, neo-Marxism, and feminist theory. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology and by permission number. D. Gould

203. Sociological Methods. F
Approaches methods as a series of conscious and strategic choices for doing various kinds of research. Introduces students to the epistemological questions of method in social sciences; to key issues in "technique," particularly control, reliability, and validity; and to good examples of social research. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology and by permission number. C. West

204. Methods of Quantitative Analysis. F
Students are provided with intuitive explanation of fundamental concepts in statistics and learn how to use statistics to answer sociological questions. Experience and guidance in using computers to efficiently analyze data are provided. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology and by permission number. Enrollment limited to 20. H. Fukurai

205. Field Research Methods. W
Gives students first-hand experience doing fieldwork with an emphasis on participant observation and some interviewing. Students submit weekly field notes and a final project analysis. At seminar meetings, field experiences and relevant literature are examined. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology and by permission number. Enrollment limited to 10. Offered in alternate academic years. J. Bettie

206. Comparative Historical Methods. *
Overview of research strategies and methods used in historical and social sciences. Students read works exemplifying a variety of analytical approaches. Written assignments cultivate critical skills, weighing of tradeoffs inherent in all methodological choices, and elaboration of hypothetical research designs. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 20. The Staff

208. Writing Practicum. S
Writing intensive course designed to facilitate the completion of the master's thesis, orals field statement, or the dissertation in sociology. The seminar is convened by a faculty member in conjunction with students and their adviser or appropriate committee chair. Students are expected to produce and present drafts of work completed in the seminar. Enrollment restricted to sociology graduate students and by permission number. Enrollment limited to 12. M. Millman

209. The Analysis of Cultural Forms. *
Examines material and symbolic forms such as media products, cultural artifacts, language, nonverbal communication and social practices using discourse, textual, content, interpretive, and conversation analyses as well as ethnography and different channels of communication. Theoretically, relies on cultural studies, communication studies, cultural sociology, film studies, and ethnomethodology. Enrollment restricted to sociology graduate students. The Staff

220. Global Transformation: Macrosociological Perspectives. W
Classical concepts and contemporary approaches in macrosociology, the study of large-scale, long term social change. Readings drawn primarily from the Marxian and Weberian traditions (new institutionalism, varieties of neo-Marxism, environmental history, state centrism) as they focus on agrarian and industrial structures and commodity chains; household, village, and neighborhood organization; social movements and revolutions; culture, ideology, and consciousness; policy analysis; comparative urban, national, and civilizational development. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology. Enrollment limited to 15. B. Crow

222. Political Sociology. *
A survey of major works and themes in the relationship of politics and society, with primary emphasis on the compatibilities and contradictions of pluralist, elite, and class perspectives on the state. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. E. Du Puis

223. Sociology of the Environment. *
Advanced treatment of the dominant ideas of nature and the environment in the West and their relationship to the development of Western capitalism. Leading Western theories of environmental crisis and their relation with ideologies of environmentalism and environmental movements. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 20. May be repeated for credit. E. Du Puis

224. Globalization: Theories and Social Movements. *
Examines the structures, processes, and movements associated with globalization processes. Reviews political economy theories, cultural theories systems, state industrial policies, and popular responses to globalization. Also assesses contribution of resistance movements informed by class, ethno-nationalism, religion, or gender. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 25. Offered in alternate academic years. May be repeated for credit. P. Lubeck

225. Political Economy for Sociologists. *
Examines rudiments of historical materialism in light of advances in cultural and ecological Marxism. Basic categories of Marxist political economy. Thematic focus on the "first" and "second" contradictions of capitalism in world economy today. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. B. Crow

227. Learning from Environmental Historians. *
Looks at several major themes in the sociology of the environment and asks how the works of environmental history address those themes. Includes reflections on how history as a method interrogates social questions. Possible themes include: sustainability; social justice; universalism vs. particularity; city and country; and social movements. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 8. E. Du Puis

229. Work and Labor Markets in the New Economy. W
Focuses on the interaction of work restructuring and existing race/class/gender inequalities. Themes include: the labor process and theories of consent; labor market segmentation; job and occupational segregation; information technologies, flexible work, and post-industrialism; flexible employment relations; and low-wage service and labor markets. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. S. Mc Kay

230. Theory and Method in the Sociology of Marx. *
Examines theoretical and methodological implications of Marxist theory for empirical social research. Analyzes how historians and social scientists apply Marxist method in explaining society, social change, globalization, culture, and late capitalism. Goal is to assist students to employ Marxist theory and method creatively in their research projects. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 12. P. Lubeck

240. Inequality and Identity. S
Explores recent theoretical and empirical studies of race, class, gender, and sexuality with an emphasis on the production of identities and their relationship to processes and structures of power in a postcolonial context. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in sociology. D. Takagi

241. Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Research. S
Seminar examining theoretical and methodological issues in doing cross-national and cross-cultural research. In addition to a consideration of different research paradigms and approaches, representative works from each comparative tradition are examined. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. C. Reinarman

242. Feminist Research Seminar. *
Provides scholarly support to students doing feminist research. Examines issues concerning conceptualization of feminism and feminist research. Explores relation of feminist research to intersections of gender, class, and race; to the self; to power; and to transformative social praxis. Students present and are given assistance with their work, as well as listen to, read, and assist with the work of others. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. The Staff

244. Race and Ethnicity. *
A critical survey of the theoretical issues of persistence and change, public policy, and recent empirical studies in the field of race and ethnic relations. Readings introduce comparative race relations and a historical background of major theoretical paradigms in the field which purport to explain race and ethnic relations in general and race relations in America specifically. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered in alternate academic years. The Staff

245. Feminist Theory. *
Examination of shifts in 20th- and 21st-century feminist theory and epistemology. Explores the decentering of universalist feminist theories and asks what constitutes feminist theory after gender has been decentered. Considers various deconstructive challenges to second-wave feminist theory based on the politics of race, ethnicity, nation, sexuality, and class. Focus changes regularly. Enrollment restricted to sociology graduate students. Enrollment limited to 12. J. Bettie

246. Class, Culture, and Movement. *
Analyzes impact of ethnicity, gender, and religion on the class situation of laboring people in a globalized economy by intensive reading and critique of classic studies, explaining how social movements reflect combinations of social relations and cultural practices. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. C. Reinarman

247. Race and Class. *
Introduces the student to the recent literature on race and class. Covers several different theoretical perspectives including internal colonialism, labor market segmentation theories, racial formation, and neo-gramscian cultural analyses. In addition to study of theory, also compares theoretical perspectives to the historical experience of minority groups, in particular, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Enrollment restricted to sociology graduate students. The Staff

249. Feminisms and Cultural Politics. *
Focuses on the role feminist discourses play in contemporary cultural politics with the main focus on the politics of sex, sexuality, and sex work. Begins with considerations of (mis)representations of feminisms in popular cultures; considers the relationship between academic and popular feminisms; and interrogates the meaning of terms post-feminism and third-wave feminism . Enrollment restricted to graduate students. J. Bettie

250. Course Design and Grant-Writing Seminar. *
A professional training seminar devoted to the philosophical, conceptual, and practical issues of course design, pedagogy, and grant writing. Topics covered: institutional contexts; curriculum (including syllabi, course content, assignments, evaluation); pedagogy; teaching as work/labor process; grant writing; budgets. Enrollment restricted to sociology graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. The Staff

252. Symbolic Interactionism and Sociology of Emotions. *
Examines classic and contemporary theories and concepts that play a major role in sociological studies of identity, symbolic and social interaction, and the sociology of emotions. Examines how cultural forms, rules, and rituals define, structure, and mediate emotions and how identities are situated within social institutions. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. M. Millman

253. Race, Crime, and Justice. *
An introduction to comparative and historical analyses of relations between race and the criminal justice system. Specific topics include defining race/ethnicity, sentencing disparities, jury nullification, jury selection and decisions, prosecutorial misconduct, government's charging and investigative discretions, and other racially biased law enforcement practices and criminal court processes. Also covers a number of highly publicized trials that involved unmistakable elements of race and racism such as Chin, King, Simpson, and Unabomber cases. Students are also exposed to World Wide Web (Internet) to learn how to do research in the field of criminal justice. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. H. Fukurai

255. Engaging Cultural Studies. *
Examines feminist and ethnic studies production, appropriation, and transformation of cultural studies theories and methodologies. Considers the utility of various theoretical apparatuses and methodological strategies employed in the interdisciplinary site that combines feminist, ethnic, and cultural studies. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Bettie

256. Urban Sociology. *
Introduction to core writings and key theoretical pardigms in urban sociology. Examines the history and contemporary conditions of cities in the U.S. and the urban experience. Urbanization, suburbanization, community, social inequality, urban politics, relationship between the built environment and human behavior. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. The Staff

257. Colonialism, International Law, and Global Justice. *
Examines colonialism, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and legal remedies, and the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC); traces the history of colonial expansionism, starting from the Roman Empire to the present American imperial dominance in global politics. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. H. Fukurai

258. Global Lay Justice Systems and Direct Democracy. *
Introduces historical analysis of lay justice participation. Examines global exploration of the use of lay judge institutions in citizen's movements and the assumption that juries are a derivative institution of democratic ideals. Focuses on corporate media creation of anti-jury sentiment. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. H. Fukurai

260. Culture, Knowledge, Power. S
An introduction to theoretical approaches and exemplary studies of culture, knowledge, and power which critically interrogate the relationship between cultural formations and the production, circulation, and meaning of knowledges, materials, artifacts, and symbolic forms. Explores the concrete ways that power is organized and operates through different forms and sites, how it interpolates with other forms of power, and examines knowledges and culture as specific forms of power and sites of political struggle. Enrollment restricted to sociology graduate students. Enrollment limited to 15. H. Gray

261. Sociology of Knowledge. *
Explores three main issues: the social determination of knowledge, including natural science; the character of intellectual labor and intellectuals as a social group; the role of organized knowledge and "knowledge industries" in contemporary social change. Texts examined include class-based theories (Lukacs, Mannheim, Gramsci), feminist standpoint analysis (Smith, Harding, etc.), and theories of postmodern culture (Lyotard, Harvey, etc.). Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 20. The Staff

262. Cultural Practice and Everyday Life. *
Examines contemporary debates about the role of mass produced expressive symbols in modern industrial societies, and the circumstances of cultural production for its impact on the creation, organization, and use of cultural artifacts. Concern with the use and experience of popular symbols for the ways that their use involves the creation of meanings and the role of such meanings in the social organization of society. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. H. Gray

263. Cultural Politics of Difference. *
Considers the cultural turn and the turn to difference in understanding relations of power and struggles over representation in studies of race, media, and culture. Examines national identity, difference, subjectivity, and authenticity, especially as they bear on quests to create new identifications, alignments, and efforts to protect existing identities. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. H. Gray

264. Science, Technology, and Medicine. *
Explores social and cultural perspectives on science, technology, and medicine. Analyzes theoretical approaches that open up "black boxes" of scientific and biomedical knowledge, including the politics of bodies, objects, and health/illness. Links are made to medical sociology. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. J. Reardon

268A. Science and Justice: Experiments in Collaboration. *
Considers the practical and epistemological necessity of collaborative research in the development of new sciences and technologies that are attentive to questions of ethics and justice. Enrollment by permission of instructor. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. (Also offered as Feminist Studies 268A. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Enrollment limited to 15. The Staff

268B. Science and Justice Research Seminar. F
Provides in-depth instruction in conducting collaborative interdisciplinary research. Students produce a final research project that explores how this training might generate research that is more responsive to the links between questions of knowledge and questions of justice. Prerequisite(s): course 268A. Enrollment by permission of instructor. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. (Also offered as Biomolecular Engineering 268B. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Enrollment limited to 15. J. Reardon, K. Barad

282. Social Policy Research. *
Policy research. Covers a variety of theoretical perspectives found in policy studies. Surveys various methodological approaches used in policy research. Theories and methods linked to research agendas on the various phases of the policy life cycle. Students are required to design a research proposal. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. Offered in alternate academic years. E. Du Puis

290. Advanced Topics in Sociological Analysis. *
The topics to be analyzed each year vary with the instructor but focus upon a specific research area. Enrollment restricted to graduate students by consent of the instructor. M. Millman

293. Going on the Job Market. *
A seminar devoted to the practical problems of securing a job as a professional sociologist. Topics covered: researching colleges, universities, and public and private organizations that employ sociologists; designing a curriculum vitae; writing an application letter; preparing a "job talk;" handling questions during the interview process; the etiquette of visiting (and its aftermath); finding out about them; and the terms of employment: what is negotiable and what is not. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. C. West

294. Writing for Social Scientists. *
Seminar on the genres of social science writing, and the problems of starting and finishing a publishable thesis, book, or article. For advanced graduate students working on the composition of their dissertations and journal articles. Enrollment restricted to graduate students. Enrollment limited to 10. M. Millman

297. Independent Study. F,W,S
Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

299. Thesis Research. F,W,S
Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. May be repeated for credit. The Staff

* Not offered in 2011-12

[return to top]

Revised: 8/13/12