This course examines social and economic inequality in the United States and globally. The goal of the course is to understand the extent of inequality as well as the power structures that systematically distribute resources in a particular way. The course introduces concepts and theoretical approaches that are fundamental to the social sciences. The policy implications that emerge from these comparisons are also discussed.
This course examines the situations, problems, and continually developing strategies of indigenous peoples living in various countries and regions scattered throughout the world. While the central concern of this investigation focuses on so-called "tribal" peoples and their increasingly threatened, yet still instructive lifeways, the course also deliberately considers selected points of contrast and comparison involving "modern" societies as well.
More than half of all humans on earth now dwell in cities, and urban life is almost certainly an integral aspect of our collective future. This course introduces students to the sociological and anthropological study of the city through an examination of the theories, concepts, and frameworks social scientists have deployed in seeking to understand cities. This examination includes a focus on urbanization, or the underlying processes by which cities emerge, and on urbanism, or the character of life in an urban built environment.
This program is intended for students who wish to rigorously analyze and understand our modern, complex society, including upper-level courses apply that fundamental training to the study of contemporary social issues including education, the health care system, the media, inequality, the family, deviance, and urban phenomena.