SOCIOL 98A: Media, Society, and Social Change
Many of us begin our day by reading online news and surfing Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We follow what’s going on and what our friends are doing online. Undoubtedly, media, especially social media, are now crucial to our social, political, and cultural lives. Events around the world—from the Arab Spring to the recent American presidential election—have also shown the importance of media in bringing about social and political change. This course explores the impact of social media—how it has transformed our means of communication, social interaction, news consumption, and political action. Reviewing a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, we will examine the following questions, among others: To what extent and in what ways does social media drive political polarization? Is social media making us more or less social? How does social media help to organize collective action? Why can’t people tell fake news from real? What are the consequences of fake news?
SOCIOL 1411: Contemporary Chinese Society
This seminar provides an overview of contemporary Chinese society. We will explore the profound transformations of the post-1978 reform period: China’s transition to a market economy, demographic change, urbanization, shifting patterns of stratification, growing inequality, the emergence of civil society, and the rise of contentious politics. The course will examine how these changes have impacted social relations, how they have been experienced and understood by individuals, and how, in turn, the responses of individuals have also shaped the trajectory of reforms.
SOCIOL 182: Law and Society
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: “The life of the law is not logic, but experience.” While law school curriculum focuses on legal doctrine, law-in-action often diverges from law-on-the-books. For instance, although civil rights laws make workplace discrimination illegal, such laws are not often enforced. This gap between law-on-the books and law-in-action has prompted social-legal scholars to examine the latter more closely. Adopting a law-in-action approach, this course examines the relationship between law and society. We will survey major theoretical perspectives and empirical studies that analyze the dynamics between law and legal institutions and their social, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Topics that will be discussed include but are not limited to: (1) concepts and theories of law and society; (2) the experiences of different actors in the legal system, particularly lawyers, judges, jurors, law enforcement agents, litigants, and citizens; (3) legal consciousness and legal culture; and (4) the relationship between law and social change.
SOCIOL 2209: Qualitative Social Analysis
This course is required for and limited to first year PhD students in Sociology and Sociology/Social Policy programs, and the Sociology tracks of the Organizational Behavior doctoral programs. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of qualitative research, with a special emphasis on participant observation and interview-based research.
Many of us begin our day by reading online news and surfing Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We follow what’s going on and what our friends are doing online. Undoubtedly, media, especially social media, are now crucial to our social, political, and cultural lives. Events around the world—from the Arab Spring to the recent American presidential election—have also shown the importance of media in bringing about social and political change. This course explores the impact of social media—how it has transformed our means of communication, social interaction, news consumption, and political action. Reviewing a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, we will examine the following questions, among others: To what extent and in what ways does social media drive political polarization? Is social media making us more or less social? How does social media help to organize collective action? Why can’t people tell fake news from real? What are the consequences of fake news?
SOCIOL 1411: Contemporary Chinese Society
This seminar provides an overview of contemporary Chinese society. We will explore the profound transformations of the post-1978 reform period: China’s transition to a market economy, demographic change, urbanization, shifting patterns of stratification, growing inequality, the emergence of civil society, and the rise of contentious politics. The course will examine how these changes have impacted social relations, how they have been experienced and understood by individuals, and how, in turn, the responses of individuals have also shaped the trajectory of reforms.
SOCIOL 182: Law and Society
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: “The life of the law is not logic, but experience.” While law school curriculum focuses on legal doctrine, law-in-action often diverges from law-on-the-books. For instance, although civil rights laws make workplace discrimination illegal, such laws are not often enforced. This gap between law-on-the books and law-in-action has prompted social-legal scholars to examine the latter more closely. Adopting a law-in-action approach, this course examines the relationship between law and society. We will survey major theoretical perspectives and empirical studies that analyze the dynamics between law and legal institutions and their social, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Topics that will be discussed include but are not limited to: (1) concepts and theories of law and society; (2) the experiences of different actors in the legal system, particularly lawyers, judges, jurors, law enforcement agents, litigants, and citizens; (3) legal consciousness and legal culture; and (4) the relationship between law and social change.
SOCIOL 2209: Qualitative Social Analysis
This course is required for and limited to first year PhD students in Sociology and Sociology/Social Policy programs, and the Sociology tracks of the Organizational Behavior doctoral programs. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of qualitative research, with a special emphasis on participant observation and interview-based research.
