Course description

Theme: The Sociology of Everyday Life

 

The broad social forces and structures that constitute modern society "out there" can be found right here, in our everyday lives. This course explores sociology by investigating institutions and activities that make up everyday life: family, education, friendship, romance, work, and community. Given the extraordinary nature of the past few years, we'll also focus on questions of racial justice and White supremacy as the national mood and responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Our course objectives:
  • To examine classical traditions -- texts, theories and debates produced by the founding sociologists of the 19th and early 20th century -- that connect the historical formation of sociology to enduring questions of a liberal arts education.
  • To explore contemporary sociological ideas and research and issues that demonstrate how sociologists today build upon and, in some cases, move beyond the classical traditions.
  • To develop a "sociological imagination" that can critically illuminate our lives and the world around us.
  • To enhance our abilities to express scholarly analysis and personal positions in writing.
  • To strengthen skills in collaborating in scholarly inquiry.

 

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