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 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 science, technology, and society through a topical focus on particular subjects or issues. It uses a variety of sociological approaches to understand the embeddedness of science and technology in society, the social impact of particular scientific or technological developments, or other dynamics of the science, technology, and society interface.

Examines the questions of power and authority in society, with a focus in particular on the historical changes in power relations from the 18th century to the present. Particular foci include: variation in how elites access and justify power; the relationship between culture and interests; power, the body, and the self; and performative approaches to power. Students are asked to write their own analyses of contemporary power relations.

Despite the frequent predictions of its demise, nationalism continues to thrive in the modern world. Why is that so? What is nationalism, and what are the sources of its appeal? This course will consider leading accounts of the origins, growth, and persistence of nationalism. Topics to be considered are: the nation and national identity; ethnicity and nationalism; empire and the nation-state; gender and nation; globalization and the nation-state. Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or instructor permission

Our current notions of race, ethnicity and nation were developed in conjunction with nation-states. As such, people use them as a basis through which to define territorial, social, ethical and emotional boundaries. In this course, we will leverage a global comparative perspective to better understand the organizing principles of modern nations and nation-states and how they affect the ways we act, classify, think and feel.

This course examines the many uses of data from the Federal Statistical System for governance, environmental and human health, and private sector uses. We will examine how the data are produced and disseminated and how assertions of data manipulation may be evaluated. We will examine characteristic data errors and how social scientists and data scientists identify and possibly correct data errors.

This course explores the role of religion in modern societies. It provides a broad comparative cultural and historical perspective, drawing on examples from America, Western Europe, and former communist countries of Eastern Europe. Topics include classic sociological theories of religion, church-state relations, civil religion, and religion and nationalism. Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or instructor permission.

An independent study project conducted by students under the supervision of an instructor of their choice. Prerequisite: Fourth-year students with a minimum GPA of 3.2 in sociology (or overall GPA of 3.2 for non-majors) and instructor permission.

Analyzes issues in sociological research and supports the writing of a Distinguished Majors thesis under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Prerequisites: SOC 3120 and Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology.