2023-2024 Academic Year

Fall 2023

SOCI 270 Soc Mvmts, Protest & Conflict
The study of protest politics and social movements is the study of collective agency. Social movements arise when people act together to promote or resist social change. Movements represent not only grievances on a particular set of issues, but also frustration with more established political forms of making claims in societies. In this course, we will engage with some of the large theoretical debates in the study of social movements, reading both empirical treatments of particular movements and theoretical treatments of key issues. The featured case studies will include civil rights, feminism, ecology, the antinuclear movement, the New Right and the alternative globalization movement. We will be particularly concerned with the social and political context of protest, focusing on basic questions, such as: under what circumstances do social movements emerge? How do dissidents choose political tactics and strategies? And how do movements affect social and political change?

SOCI 400 SR Sem Transport Justice
Transportation systems—airports, bridges, highways, railroads, and more—have developed in the United States in ways that reflect social, cultural, and political histories. The stated goals for improvements or reforms to these systems have aligned with national priorities: enhancing America's standing by enabling safe and efficient transportation of people, goods, and services. In reality, however, these systems have contributed to structural inequalities by systematically excluding certain groups while advancing the interests of other groups. Improving equality in access to transportation has been a central concern of civil rights advocates for decades. This seminar examines the sociological factors that have contributed to the development of unequal transportation systems in the United States, with a particular focus on recent advocacy efforts to achieve transportation equity.

Spring 2024

SOCI 236 Inequalities in the U.S.
This course takes a critical look at the layers of American society that shape, construct, and inhibit the basic pursuit for equality of opportunity. Students will be asked to examine how the three most fundamental elements of social stratification (race, class, gender) function both separately and in tandem to organize systems of inequality. The course uses theoretical and practical applications of stratification to evaluate how social constructions of difference influence the institutions and social policy. Additionally, class discussions will also consider how the forces of racism, sexism, and classism impact the attainment of basic needs, such as wages, health care and housing. Offered every year.

SOCI 405 Senior Thesis
Permission of Instructor Required.