Empires -- large, multinational, territorially-dispersed political entities - have been pervasive in human history. This course will examine a number of them, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, land and overseas empires. It will seek to find out what principles and practices might be common to all of them, and what, on the contrary, might distinguish them from each other. Six credits of Sociology or instructor permission.

Explores the various ways in which phenomenology has shaped micro-sociological discourse on subjectivity, agency, and the lifeworld. Pre-requisites: Six credits of Sociology or permission of instructor.

Surveys basic theories and methods used to analyze structures of social inequality. Includes comparative analysis of the inequalities of power and privilege, and their causes and consequences for social conflict and social change. Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or instructor permission.

This course explores the social construction of love and sexualities. Beginning with historical perspectives, the class also compares the organization of intimate life in the United States and other countries. Students evaluate the impact of social inequalities in gender, class and race on the construction of choice and commitment. The class considers how consumer capitalism, the state, and culture interact to shape our intimate practices.

Studies the division of labor, occupational classification, labor force trends, career patterns and mobility, occupational cultures and life-styles, and the sociology of the labor market. Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or instructor permission.

This course focuses on various aspects of religion and society such as American culture, gender and the family, politics, science, religious diversity and pluralism, violence, and other emerging issues.

This course delves into sociological approaches to health, including the social construction of health and wellness, medicalization, the intersections of culture, power and inequality with systems of diagnosis and treatment, the social determinants of health, and the subjective experiences of health and disability/illness. Prerequisite: Six credits of Sociology or instructor permission.

This course explores the relationship between politics and society via a focus on historical and/or contemporary issues. Themes may include political power, the role of the state, collective behavior and social change, and civic culture and citizenship.

This course considers various ethical aspects of society in such areas as race, family, work, the economy, and memory. It focuses on sociological approaches to ethical and moral questions in modern society, drawing on empirical examples and case studies. Prerequisite: six credits of Sociology or permission of instructor

This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of sociology.