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Sociology Courses@Barnard 2008-2009
Courses of Interest @ Columbia 2008-2009
Directory of Classes
Recently Offered Sociology Courses @ Barnard
Feminist Theory
SOCI BC 3115; 4pts.
An analysis of the theoretical
assumptions and political implications of liberal,
radical Marxist, and socialist variants of first- and
second-wave feminist theory, including recent works in
psychoanalytic and postmodern feminism. Also considers
the implications of such feminist argument for debates
with contemporary and classical sociological theory.
– E. Bernstein
Race, Culture, and Identity in the
Contemporary United States
SOCI BC3206; 4pts.
The impact of race on culture and
identity, with emphasis on black-white relations: Is
there a "great divide"?; affirmative action,
individualism and communalism; imagery of blacks and
whites in art and entertainment;
Afro-Caribbean/African-American differences; ethnicity
and "white" culture; white backlash and racism;
integration and black nationalism; the ambiguities of
"crossover" culture; new immigration.
Permission of the instructor required.
Enrollment limited.
– J. Rieder
Sociology of Gender
SOCI V3302; 3pts.
Examination of factors in gender identity that are both universal (across time,
culture, setting) and specific to a social context. Social construction of
gender roles in different settings, including family, work, and politics.
Attention to the role of social policies in reinforcing norms or facilitating
change.
Spring 07
– N.
Braine
Social Theory and Cultural Diversity
SOCI BC3204; 3pts.
This
course examines various issues having to do with cultural diversity, the
‘culture wars’ and their attendant politics of identity/recognition, and the
ideal of multiculturalism, using the tools of classical and contemporary social
theory. Case material will be drawn from the United States and abroad.
Selected topics include: multiculturalism and the politics of
identity/recognition; the headscarf debate; orientalism; sexuality and culture;
‘excitable speech’; and the ‘culture wars’
Spring 07
– G.
Murray
Culture in Contemporary America
SOCI BC3213; 4pts.
An analysis of the values and meanings
that form American pluralism and the communities that
create and consume culture. Examples come from popular
and elite culture: American individualism, rhythm and
blues, Christian fundamentalism, liberalism and
conservatism, abortion politics, television, and film.
A central focus is on race, ethnicity, and identity.
– J. Rieder
Organizations in Modern Society
SOCI V3216; 3pts.
An exploration of the growth of large organizations in
politics, business, government, and culture; the
structure of the corporation; not-for-profit
organizations (art museums, universities);
organizational cultures; dilemmas of hierarchy, power,
and alienation; the tension between organizations and
democracy; left and right critiques of the
organizational state.
– P. Levin
Sociology of US Economic Life
SOCI BC3227; 3pts.
The social forces that shape market behavior: ideologies
of liberalism and conservatism; the culture of
commodities and consumption; income, class, and quality
of life; the immigrant economy; life in financial
institutions; the impact of the global economy.
– P. Levin
Sociology of Sexuality
SOCI BC 3318; 3pts.
Social, cultural and organizational
aspects of sex in the contemporary United States,
stressing the plural in sexualities: sexual revolution
and post-Victorian ideologies; the context of gender and
inequality; social movements and sexual identity; the
variety of sexual meanings and communities; the impact
of AIDS.
– E. Bernstein
Sociology of Mass Media and Popular Culture
SOCI V3270; 3 pts.
This course will take a sociological view of the interactions and
effects of contemporary mass media and popular culture. We will examine the
historical origins that gave rise to distinctions between “high, “mass,” and
“popular” culture and how these forms are linked to broader social phenomena.
The course will then be divided into two main topics: the production processes
of mass media and popular culture and the interpretive processes of culture. How
is culture produced and what do these cultural forms then mean for
audiences/consumers? Finally, the course will focus on the effects of media and
popular culture on contemporary understandings of race, class, and gender as
well as contentious politics, including social movements and electoral
campaigns. Do contemporary forms of media act as a mirror, reflecting our gaze
back at ourselves? Or do they actively construct the way we see ourselves and
the world? The course will lead us from an understanding of ourselves as
consumers towards an understanding of the many facets of mass media and popular
culture and their influence on our selves and our society.
– C.
Walsh-Russo
Institutional Analysis in Organizations
SOCI BC 3902
Introduction to an institutional
perspective on organization, moving between theoretical
discussion of institutions and organizations and
empirical research. Coverage of the rise of
quantification; how comparative political cultures
implement industrial policy; how institutional knowledge
affects the environment; and how the Civil Rights
movement contended with the American political
environment.
– P. Levin
Culture and Work
SOCI BC3903; 4pts.
Sociological approaches to understanding work and culture, with theoretical
underpinnings of workplace interactions, with attention to ethnographies of work
across a range of organizations. This seminar will also examine changes in work
due to technological advances and globalization. Special emphases on gender.
– P.
Levin
Funding Social Change: A Research
Practicum
SOCI BC3905; 4pts.
Examination of debates on social movement
philanthropy combined with independent data collection
on foundations and grant recipients. We will examine
such topics as the role of foundations in the US; the
positive and negative consequences of foundation funding
for social movements; and the dilemmas of progressive
funding from the perspective of grantmakers. Emphasis is
on civil rights, feminist, public interest and new
conservative movements.
– D. Minkoff
Conservatisms
SOCI BC3906; 4pts.
Taking as its starting point the premise that there are several
different traditions of conservative social and political thought, this seminar
examines the history of conservative thinking and the conservative movement,
with a special focus on the careers of both as they have played out in America,
and concludes with an extended look at the rise of ‘neoconservatism’. Selected
topics include: the intellectual roots of modern conservatism; conservatism and
feminism; black conservatives; neoconservatism and the future of conservatism in
America.
– G.
Murray
Transnational Social Movements
SOCI BC3908; 4pts.
Examines anti-globalization protest in the 1990s, transnational
anti-globalization protests emerged to fight against free trade, the World Bank
and IMF. Drawing on this recent example of transnational
contention, this seminar will familiarize students with the current set of
debates surrounding contemporary forms of transnational activism and shed light
on its broader historical context.
– C.
Walsh-Russo
Research Seminar in Sociology: Where do Art prices come from?
SOCI BC3910; 4pts.
This
seminar will introduce undergraduates to the social, political, cultural, and
organizational bases for what are normally thought of as ‘economic’ activities.
The specific topic for this semester is, “Where do prices for fine Art come
from?” “Why do some paintings sell for hundreds of dollars, while others sell
for millions?” These questions are particularly poignant for fine Art because,
unlike other commodities, they are not mass produced, often require some kind of
expertise in understanding the art, and derive its ‘cultural’ value precisely as
being something outside of ‘economic’ value. The primary questions will force
students to do some quantitative analysis of art prices (and the effects of
professional value estimates, size, artist, and other variables on prices); and
some qualitative analysis (including interviews with specialists and appraisers,
and observations at galleries/auction houses).
Fall 06
– P.
Levin
Contemporary Chinese Culture and Society
HSEA W3850
This
course provides a survey of contemporary China from a sociological perspective.
Broad in scope, the course will examine the main areas of contemporary Chinese
life: economy, politics, society, culture, and the environment. It will show
how, under conditions not of their own choice, the Chinese people are both
shapers of their own fate and constrained in their struggles for a better life
and more just and equitable society. The analysis will help students to
understand better the lived experiences of the Chinese people, as well as the
causes and consequences of social inequality, social conflicts, and social
change in a country that is so different from and yet so intertwined with
contemporary American society. A session on globalization highlights these
interconnections.
– G.
Yang
Critical Approaches to East Asia in the Social Sciences
HSEA W4102 4pts.
Introduces students to social science research on East Asia (primarily China,
South Korea, and Japan). Examines exemplary and current social science works
with an emphasis on sociological approaches and methods. Focuses on selected
topics about East Asia, including East Asian economic development; class,
gender, and ethnicity; civil society and political change; environmental
movements; and globalization and East Asian regionalism.
– G.
Yang
Civil Society, Public Sphere, and Popular
Protest in Contemporary China
HSEA W4867x 4 pts.
A systematic and critical assessment of
the developments and challenges of civil society in
reform-era China by focusing on civic associations,
public sphere, and popular protest. – G. Yang
Introduction to Urban Sociology
US V3420 3pts.
An
examination of the diverse ways in which sociology has defined and studied
cities, focusing on the people who live and work in the city, and the
transformations U.S. cities are undergoing today. A range of sociological
methods, including ethnography, survey research, quantitative studies, and
participant observation will provide perspectives on key urban questions such as
street life, race, immigration, globalization, conflict, and redevelopment.
–
G. Smithsimon
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