Sociology/Anthropology

Overview

Sociology grew out of the attempt to understand the nature and problems of modern industrial societies, while anthropology grew out of Europe's encounters with the diversity of world cultures. Both seek to explain the relationships among individuals, groups, social institutions, culture, and meaning; both seek to study those relationships systematically and scientifically; and both seek to provide insights into the most pressing personal and social issues of our day.

Sociology and anthropology contribute to several educational and occupational goals. Participation in current political, philosophical and theological debates -- debates about multiculturalism, gender and inequality, environmental policy, capital punishment, "Third World" development, welfare reform, immigration -- requires a clear understanding of the social dimension of life. Occupations making extensive use of sociological knowledge include policy research, personnel and industrial relations, public relations, law, medicine, ministry, counseling, marketing, and management. Anthropology helps prepare students for occupations requiring knowledge of cultural differences such as social policy and planning, law, education, social and economic development, and international business. Both disciplines help prepare students for social service and justice work.

General Education Credit

First-year students are encouraged to test their interest in sociology and anthropology by registering for Sociology/Anthropology 121, 126, or 128. Level II courses, numbered 200-289, include area studies, topical courses and courses exploring social institutions. They require no prerequisites, although students are encouraged to take an introductory course before enrolling. Courses numbered 290 and higher are advanced courses requiring at least one lower level course as a prerequisite.

Distribution Credit

Requirements for the Major

Introductory Courses:

1 course 121 or 126 or 128);

Core:

4 courses 290 or 291, 371, 372 or 373, 399);

Electives:

4 courses--including at least one course in each of the following three groups:

Area Courses:

• 230s

Topical Courses:

• 240s, 250s

Social Institutions:

• 260s

For students interested in specializing in research or going on to graduate school in sociology, one semester of calculus or one of statistics (such as Mathematics 112, or Statistics 110 or 263) is highly recommended. Only one sociology/anthropology course from an off-campus program (i.e., an urban semester or program abroad, an off-campus independent study/research, or field internship) can normally be used for the minimum requirements for the major. Only one course taken S/U may be used for the major, and should be a course used for one of the four electives above rather than a core course.

Special Programs

The Sociology/Anthropology Department is a core participant in the following interdisciplinary majors: American Studies, American Racial and Multicultural Studies, Asian Studies, Hispanic Studies, Social Work, Urban Studies, and Women's Studies. The Sociology/Anthropology Department also contributes towards the International and Intercultural Concentrations, and its faculty offer seminars and tutorials in the Paracollege.

Courses

Introductory Courses

121 Introduction to Sociology

This course is essential for anyone who wishes to understand what it means to be human. Together we will explore sociological answers to the following questions: Is there such a thing as "human nature"? Are human beings free? Why are people unequal in society? Why is there misery in the world? Why (and how) do societies change? In answering these questions we will review the various research methods and theories that form the sociological tradition. Offered both semesters.

126 Social Problems and Social Change

With poverty and inequality as central issues, the course explores related problems like crime, homelessness, population and environmental pressures, race and ethnic conflict, and the changing structure of work and occupations. Though the U.S. is the primary focus, the course seeks to understand these problems in the context of global social changes. Social science outlooks on problems are compared with those which usually emanate from everyday electronic and print journalism.

128 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

An introduction to the discipline of cultural anthropology. We will explore concepts, theories, methods of research, and the development of the discipline. Comparative analysis of various societies offers insight on family and kinship; inequality and power; religion and values; and economy and technology. Students will also examine cultural change and the impact of industrialized societies on traditional cultures. Offered both semesters.

Area Courses

235 Contemporary Native American Issues

An examination of the impact of European colonization on Native American people, the development of federal Indian law and policies, the current status of treaty rights, the economy and politics of Indian reservations today, the persistence and revival of native religious life and cultures, questions of Indian identity, urban Indian experiences, and recent Native American social movements and organizations.

236 The Arab World

Focusing on present day Arab Middle Eastern society, the course will explore the role of the institutions of family and religion in maintaining continuity, while also identifying sources of change such as the colonial experience, regional and global interdependence, oil and its impact on societies, fundamentalist movements, the changing roles of women, the challenges of education and population.

237 Forging a Latin American Culture: Indians, Conquer-ors, and Revolutionaries

This course explores the forces that shape contemporary Latin American society. We examine indigenous cultures before and after the conquest, the cultural and economic effects of colonialism, the struggle for independence, emancipation, and development. Students use readings, discussion, and independent work to explore some major factors forging a contemporary Latin American identity: the destruction of Indian societies and tropical environments; the contribution of slavery, peasant labor, and plantations to Euro-American industrialization; resistance, liberation theology, and revolutionary movements; revolution and women; the juxtaposition of American and European cultural roots; cocaine and the drug trade.

238 Culture and Society of South Asia

An introduction to the culture and society of India through archaeological data, religious texts, popular literature, and ethnographies. Students will focus on the diversity and transformations in religions, kinship systems, economic activities, and political relations that have influenced and shaped contemporary village and urban India. Topics include: Indus Valley civilization, conversion movements, Indian saints and popular devotionalism, caste relations, tribal movements, religious conflict, women's concerns, and ecological issues.

239 Contemporary Issues in Southeast Asia

An introduction to the cultural diversity of societies throughout mainland and insular Southeast Asia, including Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The course will focus on the political and religious influences from the Indian subcontinent, the development of early kingdoms, nationalist and tribal independence movements, environmental issues, migration and resettlement, and relations between ethnic minorities and states.

240 Men, Women and Change in American Society

This course explores the profound ways our lives are affected by the different roles we are expected to play as women and men. Students will examine theories of gender; historic changes in cultural roles for men and women; how we learn to become men and women; the impact of gender on our inner lives and personal relationships; the relationship between our gender roles and the families we live in, the work we do, the politics we support, and the faith we believe; the connection among gender, race and social class; and the impact of both the women's and men's movements in changing gender roles.

241 Global Interdependence

Approaching the world as a "global village," the course will focus on the development of the world as an interdependent entity, the debate and relationship between the "developed" and "developing" world, alternative explanations for planned social change, and new institutions for this international world. Some global challenges such as the information revolution, population, education, the status of women and migration will be analyzed to illustrate this interdependence.

242 The City: Problems, Politics and Protests

An overview of the historical and structural development of Western and non-Western urban centers. Students will explore the relationship of urban development to political and economic processes; the role of migrants, voluntary associations, and kinship networks in urban life; slums and squatter settlements; the changing roles of women in urban areas; and urban resistance movements.

243 Social Movements

An exploration of social, political and religious movements for change. We will examine such cases as the Palestinian Intifada, conflict in Northern Ireland, the Karen independence movement in Burma, Native American treaty rights struggles, the Chipko movement in India, and other land-based and environmental struggles that use both violent and nonviolent tactics. This course focuses on the historical and cultural contexts of social movements, such as the use of tradition, ritual and symbolism; colonialism, national borders and indigenous peoples; and the role of cultural identities in creating communities of resistance and movements for social change.

244 Race and Class in American Culture

An exploration of the continuing significance of color, class and immigration in the U.S., with a focus on the experiences of African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asian-Americans. We will examine the responses of people of color to injustice and racism; the nature and functions of prejudice and discrimination; the relationship among race, class, and gender; theories which account for the persistence of inequality; and social policies and social movements intended to create greater social equality.

245 Social Deviance

Social factors contribute significantly to deviational problems like mental disorders; drug, alcohol, and gambling addictions; suicide; sexual deviations and physical and learning disabilities. This course seeks to interpret socially deviant behavior in the light of a well developed body of social theory and to demonstrate the value of empirical research in these areas. (This course complements but does not duplicate Sociology/Anthropology 246.)

246 Crime and Delinquency: Sociological Views

Crime is a perennial social concern. Sociological criminology offers a well developed body of knowledge about such topics as the legal definitions of crimes, the interpretation of criminal statistics, and the range of alternative policies regarding crime control. Among the specific crime systems studied are violent crimes against persons, conventional property crime, white collar crime, and organized crime, as well as delinquency and gangs. (This course complements but does not duplicate Sociology/Anthropology 245 and Sociology/Anthropology 266.)

248 Sociology of Dying, Death, and Bereavement

Students investigate the phenomenon of death as it relates to the social structure of American society, seeking to understand patterns of social interaction surrounding and giving meaning to dying, death, and bereavement. The class also explores significant human values and their effects upon the ways in which individuals confront death. Topics include the following: death fears and anxiety, religious understandings of death-related phenomena, social understandings of the dying process, a structural analysis of the funeral industry, the emergence of the hospice as a social movement, social factors related to biomedical issues, and the sociological understanding of the bereavement process.

249 Encountering "Primitives": Tribal and Peasant Societies

Students explore the origins of "primitives" in Western thought; the contributions which the study of tribal and peasant societies have made to the study of society; and the social, economic, political, and ideological characteristics of tribal and peasant societies. The course also examines the impact of colonialism, industrialization and development on traditional societies, and the cultural expressions of resistance to such impacts.

250 Human Rights in Cross-Cultural Perspective

This course is an introduction to the cultural, economic, sexual, political and religious aspects of international human rights. We examine different societies to understand how they use concepts of rights, duties, morals, and justice within their cultural contexts, and discuss how these concepts apply to international human rights laws, declarations and conventions. The course analyzes important international rights debates, such as the demand to apply a universal standard of rights versus the demand that societies determine their own standards; and the relationship between the rights of the individual and the rights of the collective.

260 Marriage and the Family

How does one define the "contemporary American family"? This course provides a sociological understanding of these families in a cross-cultural perspective. Students discuss issues of dating and mate selection, marital and parent-child relationships over the family life cycle, gender issues, work and family roles, and American family adaptations caused by a rapidly changing society. Offered both semesters.

261 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective

A comparative study of gender, family, and kinship in various cultures, including American society. Students apply anthropological and sociological theory and research to understand both tradition and change in gender roles, family life, and kinship systems. Key questions include: why are gender roles and families different in different cultures? Under what conditions are women's and men's roles different or unequal? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Western feminism in looking at the lives of women in traditional cultures?

262 The Anthropology of Political Systems

Focusing on political behavior from a cross-cultural perspective, students examine whether the concepts we often associate with political behavior, such as authority, hierarchy, domination/subordination, government, conflict, and war, are universally applicable across cultures. How might one study political behavior in non-state societies? What are the theories to which the study of non-state societies has given rise? The course also explores the politics of colonialism, the emergence of the nation-state not only as political institution but also as "imagined community," the nature of revolution and political participation, and the politics of social movements and ethnicity.

265 Religion, Culture, and Society

This examination of religious behavior analyzes beliefs, meanings, rituals, and organizational patterns. Students will examine the social organization and functions of religion, the process of secularization in society, the practice and function of civil religion, social factors related to religious conversion and defection, and the study of sectarian religious movements.

266 Law and Society: Sociological Interpretations

Law comprises both a body of rules and a set of public institutions. Sociology of law analyzes their social and cultural foundations and how law functions in modern society. Topics include disputing processes, compliance to law, how law operates in conditions of religious and ethnic diversity, legal rights and social dependency (juveniles, mentally ill, welfare), and a sociological analysis of the legal professions. (This course complements but does not duplicate Sociology/Anthropology 245 and Sociology/Anthropology 246.)

267 Health Care, Medicine, and Society

In this analysis of the influence of social factors on health, illness, and medical treatment, students examine the social nature of disease and illness, the social organization of medical care and health professions, medical education, the growth of alternative health care systems, medical ethics, the ecology of health care, and the connection among faith, healing, and medicine.

269 Work and Organizations in Modern Society

This course is an inquiry into the nature and meaning of work in the late 20th century. We will examine work as vocation and work as career; the relationship of work to leisure; the growth of complex, bureaucratic structures and their influence on the nature of work; theories of management; the nature and responsibility of the professions (including medicine, law, nursing, business management, journalism); multinational corporations and the export of work to the Third World; and the possible transformation of work in the future.

290 History of Anthropological Theory

"Culture" is the central concept in Anthropology. This course provides an overview of major theoretical perspectives of culture as they have developed within specific socio-historical contexts. For centuries, scholars have been asking anthropological questions, such as: what is culture, what is the relationship between nature and culture, how do humans acquire culture, how does culture influence our thoughts and behavior, how does culture change over time? Using original writings, ethnographic texts and films, we will explore theories of culture in their geographical and historical diversity.

291 History of Sociological Theory

This course seeks to tell the story of how "society" was intellectually "discovered" and how people have come to think about the nature of society. Ideas that led to the belief that society required its own science, how that science was to work, and the key ideas that would drive it fill out the story. Classical thinkers, including Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, are discussed along with the major schools of modern sociology that emanate from them: functionalism, conflict and critical theory, symbolic interaction and exchange theories, feminist theory, post-modernism. The course applies the ideas of these schools to contemporary issues and everyday life.

294 Internship

298 Independent Study

371 Foundations of Social Science Research

Students experience a rigorous introduction to methodological issues in social science, enabling them to conduct and critically evaluate empirical research. Topics include systematic treatment of the design of social research and of its underlying theoretical assumptions and orientations, comparison and critique of ethnographic and quantitative research strategies, techniques in sampling design, and strategies for performing evaluation of social programs and/or interventions. Sociology/Anthropology 371 is a prerequisite for Sociology/Anthropology 372 and Sociology/Anthropology 373. Fall Semester only.

372 Practicum in Data Collection and Statistical Analysis: Survey Research

This guided practice in data collection and analysis requires students to critically review research strategies. Topics use and include data collection, univariate and multivariate analysis, several different computer applications for statistical analysis, and evaluation research. Each student collects empirical evidence to support or refute a testable proposition. Prerequisite: Sociology/Anthropology 371. Spring Semester only.

373 Ethnographic Research Methods

In this study of the variety of qualitative methods involved in ethnographic research, students choose topics for research, collect data through actual fieldwork, and present their results in ethnographic papers. The course will explore the benefits and limitations of the interpretive method and focus on ethnographic writing as an important genre in contemporary cultural anthropology and sociology. Prerequisite: Sociology/Anthropology 371 or consent of the instructor. Spring Semester.

394 Internship

398 Independent Research

399 Senior Seminar

In-depth reading, writing and discussion on a selected topic from areas common to sociology and anthropology with an emphasis on contemporary analysis. Specific content will vary from year to year. Open to senior majors only. Spring Semester.

• Sociology/Anthropology 130 Language, Culture and Power

• Sociology/Anthropology 233 The Indigenous Experience in the Central Andes (off-campus)

• Sociology/Anthropology 243 Social Movements

Paracollege Seminars

• Gender in the 1990s: New Women? New Men?
• Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Life
• Social and Cultural Context of Development

Faculty