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07F, 08F: 9L
What is Society? How have societies developed historically? How do they
distribute wealth, income and other resources? How do they organize political
authority and economic power? How do they coordinate work? How do they
socialize people to "fit in" with those around them? How do they produce
popular culture? This course provides answers to these questions in ways that
provide an introduction to the field of sociology. It focuses on a broad range
of theory and research showing how sociologists think about and study these
questions. In many cases, the topics covered in the course reflect the research
interests and course offerings of faculty in the sociology department at
Dartmouth. As a result, the course also provides an introduction to some of the
curriculum offered in the department. Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: W.
Campbell.
08W, 09W: 10
An examination of the sources of social conflict in America and the
principal issues they involve. Although the particular topics stressed will
vary from term to term, the overall emphasis will be on conceptions of what is
considered socially problematic, solutions offered by sociologists and social
critics. Topics have included class, race, and sex inequality; crime;
technology in society; and war. Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: W.
Anthony.
7. Freshman Seminars in Sociology
FS: Food in Society
08W, 09W: 2A
Food is more than just sustenance. Food preparation and consumption
often reflect and reinforce broader social norms and issues. Food also
serves as an important source of individual and group identity. This course
will examine the various roles of food in American society. The course
topics will include: children’s food, family relationships, gender
relationships, ethnic identity, class, food & religion, and consumerism.
Hollister.
Not being offered in the period of 07F through 09S
This seminar explores: (1) the historical relations among social processes,
disease and medical science; (2) social differentials in health and access to
health care; and (3) the current healthcare system in the U.S. and recent
proposals for reform. The focus of this course is on the contemporary U.S., but
we also spend some time on international and comparative topics. Dist: SOC;
WCult: NW. Anthony.
FS: 20th Century Revolutions (course
syllabus)
08W, 09W: 2A
The twentieth century has witnessed tumultuous social and political
upheavals, ranging from the rise and demise of the Bolshevik communists to the
challenge of Islamic fundamentalism. The examination of these upheavals will
form the core of this course. Using a comparative framework, we will analyze
critical political developments in Russia, Iran, Nicaragua, and the
Philippines. Before their political breakdown, authoritarian states in these
countries generated impressive economic growth and development. We will examine
the factors that led to the rise of social conflicts and the eventual collapse
of these states. We will also analyze the causes of the different outcomes that
emerged: Bolsheviks in Russia, Islamic fundamentalism in Iran, revolutionary
socialism and its subsequent collapse in Nicaragua, and the restoration of
liberal democracy in the Philippines. Finally, we will investigate the position
taken by the United States in these revolutionary upheavals. Dist: SOC; NW.
Parsa.
FS: Betwixt and Between: Identity and Development in Multi-Racial
Adolescents (course
syllabus)
09S
In the 1970's, one in 100 children was born in the United States to parents
who were not of the same race. Now, thirty years later, that ratio is on in
nineteen. What are the social, historical, and biological meanings of the term
multi-racial? What are the challenges and benefits associated with belonging to
more than one race group? How do multi-racial youth negotiate the path to
developing a healthy identity differently than mono-racial youth? We will
consider how schools, families, peer groups, and neighborhoods influence the
development of biracial adolescents. Dist: SOC. Herman
FS: Emotion in American Culture
08S, 09S: 2A
Most people think of emotions as a purely internal experience, composed
solely of physiological elements. Recently, however, sociologists have
begun to emphasize and explore the social side of emotion—for example, how
emotions are shaped socially and culturally, how emotions are socially
controlled, and the consequences of emotion for social life. We will
examine these and other sociological aspects of emotional experience in this
course, including exploring current debates about the social functions of
emotions, especially as they pertain to the substantive areas of work and
family. Topics include the social causes of emotion; cultural variations
in feeling and expression norms (especially in regard to love and anger);
changes in American norms over time; the shaping of children’s emotions through
socialization; individual and social techniques of emotion management; the
social distribution of emotional experience; the social functions of emotion;
emotional deviance; and the individual and social consequences of emotional
display. Dist: SOC. Lively.
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