COURSES TAUGHT
Sociologists and other social scientists must describe and interpret social facts in order to make sense of the world around them. To do this, they often rely on the analysis of quantitative data using statistical methods. This course acts as a primer to sociological statistical analysis and students will learn to find and access social data, summarize patterns in that data, represent these patterns graphically, and explore relationships between different variables. Topics include descriptive measures, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, chi-square, correlation, and regression. This course is designed as a gateway to quantitative sociological research, and emphasis is on practice and implementation, with students also learning to use SPSS software.
GSS 201: Feminist and Queer Theories
This course is designed to introduce students to survey research methods. You have learned a lot about substantive topics in your other sociology and social science courses. But how do sociologists know what they know? As a social science, sociology is based on empirical data. Sociologists are trained to collect data in order to answer questions. One of the most commonly used forms of data collection within sociology is the survey. In this course, students will gain hands-on experience in designing a survey, sampling, administering a survey, and analyzing survey data. You will work in groups with a community organization to determine needs, carry out research, and deliver a report.
This course is designed to introduce students to the sociological study of gender. All of you have personal experiences upon which you can draw. It is important to reflect on how gender shapes our lives and the lives of those around us. The division of people into two categories, male and female, is assumed and often thought to originate from biological differences. However, this division is socially constructed and maintained in our society every day through interactions with each other and institutional arrangements. We will start by examining how gender is constructed, the process of socialization and how we learn how to “do gender.” We will focus on gender beliefs and behaviors of millennials as well as the experiences of transgender kids. We turn then to gendered experiences, interactions, and inequities in education, both in the classroom and in the broader environment, including hookup culture and rape culture. We then look at changing work and family dynamics. We then consider essays on race, beauty, media, and politics. Finally, we ponder a world beyond gender.
SOC 246: American Families
This course is designed to introduce students to the sociological study of family life in the United States. In the past (and to some extent today), sociologists referred to “the family” as if there was one defining unit that covered all family life. This course is about families and how American families have changed and continue to change. In this course, we will examine historical family patterns and common misperceptions that people hold about the “traditional” family. This semester we will focus on romantic relationships, parenthood, and intergenerational relationships. For romantic relationships, we look at interracial relationships among gay and straight couples and gender dynamics and expectations regarding work and family roles. For parenthood, we examine class differences in parenting styles and case studies of single mothers and gay adoptive fathers. For intergenerational relationships, we look at the experiences of Korean American adults as they recall growing up with immigrant parents and the expectations for caring for elderly parents. Throughout these topics, we will consider diverse family experiences and the importance of gender, sexuality, race, and class.
SOC 310: Gender, Race, and Sports
In this course, we will examine the interrelations between gender, race, and sports. We will view sports through a sociological lens and consider how sports are shaped by and in turn shape social interaction. We will focus on how sports influence our definitions of masculinity and femininity, the opportunities and obstacles sports provide for members of different racial/ethnic and gender groups, and the images associated with race, gender, and sports. We consider why certain sports are associated with certain races, Title IX and issues of gender segregation, sport and homophobia, white athletes and privilege, the politics of gender verification, exploitation in college sports, the criminalization of black masculinity in sports, and representations of race, gender, and sexuality in sports media. This course is a seminar and will be largely based on student-led discussion.
This course disrupts traditional notions of “the family.” More specifically, we will challenge binaries: gender, sexuality, family. We start with the general assumption that there is not one acceptable or even dominant family form. This includes decentering heteronormativity and drawing on queer family theory. We draw on case studies to deconstruct family in the US, South Africa, and China. We consider shifts in opinions surrounding marriage and marriage equality and how the movement for same-sex marriage has changed these attitudes. We focus on trans families and (re)producing trans families through the case of cisgender women and transgender men. We focus on the potential of polyamory and polyqueer sexualities in breaking down sexist and racist assumptions about relationships. We examine intersectionality across different cases, with a particular focus on Black lesbian mothers, queer Latinas, and queer families in Taiwan. We also consider challenging gender through raising trans kids. The class itself will be discussion-based with occasional workshops focused on research projects.
SOC 382: Men and Masculinites
While many people think of women when they hear the term “gender,” issues of gender, and particularly masculinity, are highly relevant for men. In this class we will pay close attention to the construction of masculinities and how men both affect and are affected by the current gendered social order. Throughout the course, we will consider how race/ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation shape men’s experiences. In particular, we will address the following issues: the concept of hegemonic masculinity; the (fading) role of homophobia in constructing masculinity; the gender gap in education; the criminalization of Black and Latino boys and men; basketball and Asian American masculinity; body image and stigma within the gay community; and the deterioration of white men’s sense of entitlement.
SOC 391: Survey Research Methods
This course is designed to introduce students to survey research methods. You have learned a lot about substantive topics in your other sociology and social science courses. But how do sociologists know what they know? As a social science, sociology is based on empirical data. Sociologists are trained to collect data in order to answer questions. One of the most commonly used forms of data collection within sociology is the survey. In this course, students will gain hands-on experience in designing a survey, sampling, administering a survey, and analyzing survey data. You will work in groups with a community organization to determine needs, carry out research, and deliver a report.
SOC 440: Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage
Americans love marriage. Most people will marry at some point in their lives and many will marry more than once. In fact, 40% of marriages involve a second or higher marriage for one or both spouses. At the same time, marriage rates have gone down, particularly for those with less education, and people are marrying later. In its place, more and more young adults are cohabiting, one-quarter by age 20 and three-quarters by age 30. Divorce rates remain relatively high, but there have been declines in the overall rate since the 1980s. Amidst these trends, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the country, and the proportion of same-sex cohabiting couples who were married jumped from 38% to 61%. This course will examine these trends as well as the decisions, relationships, and conflicts behind them. Much of the course will also be spent investigating topics of interest to class members. All students will conduct research on a topic of their choice and discussions will center on readings related to students’ research topics as well as the research process itself.
