SOC 1:
Introduction to Sociology
This course to get students to think like a sociologist; to use core concepts and theories from the field of sociology to make sense of the most pressing issues of our time: race and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; family; education; social class and economic inequality; social connectedness; social movements; and immigration. The course will draw heavily on the research and writing of Stanford's own sociologist.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 2:
Self and Society: Introduction to Social Psychology (PSYCH 70)
Why do people behave the way they do? This is the fundamental question that drives social psychology. Through reading, lecture, and interactive discussion, students have the opportunity to explore and think critically about a variety of exciting issues including: what causes us to like, love, help, or hurt others; the effects of social influence and persuasion on individual thoughts, emotion, and behavior; and how the lessons of social psychology can be applied in contexts such as health, work, and relationships. The social forces studied in the class shape our behavior, though their operation cannot be seen directly. A central idea of this class is that awareness of these forces allows us to make choices in light of them, offering us more agency and wisdom in our everyday lives. Beginning autumn quarter 2021, this course will no longer fulfill the Way-ED requirement
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 3:
America: Unequal (CSRE 3P, PUBLPOL 113)
The U.S. is in the midst of an inequality explosion. The upper class has become unimaginably rich. Extreme racial discrimination and animus remain at the center of the American story. Abject poverty persists amidst so much wealth. A de facto caste system ¿ in which opportunities to get ahead depend on a birth lottery ¿ is firmly in place. The historic decline in gender inequality, which many had thought would continue on until full equality was achieved, has stalled out across many labor market indicators. Why is this happening? And what should be done about it? A no-holds-barred exploration of America¿s inequality problem.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 4:
The Sociology of Music (AMSTUD 4, CSRE 4)
This course examines music - its production, its consumption, and it contested role in society - from a distinctly sociological lens. Why do we prefer certain songs, artists, and musical genres over others? How do we 'use' music to signal group membership and create social categories like class, race, ethnicity, and gender? How does music perpetuate, but also challenge, broader inequalities? Why do some songs become hits? What effects are technology and digital media having on the ways we experience and think about music? Course readings and lectures will explore the various answers to these questions by introducing students to key sociological concepts and ideas. Class time will be spent moving between core theories, listening sessions, discussion of current musical events, and an interrogation of students - own musical experiences. Students will undertake a number of short research and writing assignments that call on them to make sociological sense of music in their own lives, in the lives of others, and in society at large.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
SOC 5:
Big Ideas: Conversations with Stanford's Own Nobel Laureates & MacArthur "Genius" Fellows (CHEM 5, ECON 3)
10 weekly one-on-one conversations with Nobel Laureates and MacArthur fellows, talking about their life story, how they got to their ideas, what they discovered, how the world is a better place as a result, what advice they have for students and young researchers, etc. Readings related to guest research will be assigned. Open to undergraduate and graduate students.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
SOC 8:
Sport, Competition, and Society
This course uses the tools of social science to help understand debates and puzzles from contemporary sports, and in doing so shows how sports and other contests provide many telling examples of enduring social dynamics and larger social trends. We also consider how sport serves as the entry point for many larger debates about the morality and ethics raised by ongoing social change. There is a one hour discussion section required for this course.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
SOC 9N:
2020 Election, Understanding the National, Participating in the Local
In this class we will read the literature on voting and elections. We will cover some literature on voting rights in the US. The class will have a field component, as students will not only be obligated to register to vote (if they are eligible), but also go out into the field, in groups, to register voters and talk to them about some local issue or candidate. Learn to understand the election system through participation! Each student will pick a local issue or candidate, and then the students will go out, in teams, to canvass around that local issue or candidate and learn about what their fellow citizens have to say about their chosen issue. Students will present a post-mortem about their chosen candidate or issue after the November elections are over.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 10:
Introduction to Computational Social Science
The large-scale digitization of social life is providing new opportunities and research directions for social scientists. In this course, we will discuss how social scientists, and sociologists in particular, are using advances in computational techniques to further our knowledge of society. Some of the topics we will survey include online experiments, massive online social networks, large-scale text analysis, and geographical information systems. Students will learn principles of research design in addition to fundamental programming and data analysis techniques. By the end of the course they should be able to produce computational social science research of their own.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4
SOC 11N:
The Data Scientist as Detective
This seminar is about how data are used to figure things out. We will consider cases in which a standing mystery existed, a question without an answer that was subsequently solved with a crisp, clever, or comprehensive analysis of data. We will pay close attention to the reasoning used involved in getting answers from data, and together we will consider how to assess how confident to be in those answers. All of which is directed to providing a better understanding of the logic of making inferences from data, evaluating those inferences, and actually working with data. Over the quarter, students will also be asked to pose and advance a project of their own that involves answering a question with data.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
SOC 12SC:
Guaranteed Income: A Bold Experiment to Reduce Inequality
The state of California, the so-called 'land of plenty,' in fact has the country's highest poverty rate as well as extremely high rates of homelessness and profound racial and ethnic disparities. These problems persist despite a long history of anti-inequality policy. What should be done? In an innovative $35M experiment, the state of California is testing bold new approaches to taking on poverty and inequality, including an unconditional 'guaranteed income' that assures that everyone can raise their children in healthy environments, invest in their skills, and take advantage of opportunities. The Stanford Guaranteed Income Team - a coalition of Stanford faculty - will be advising on the implementation and evaluation of this experiment (pending the state's final review of their grant application). Would you like to assist with one of the boldest anti-inequality experiments of our time? If you sign on for this course, you will (a) learn about the causes of poverty and other inequities and how they can be taken on, and (b) then assist with the implementation and evaluation of the experiment by interviewing potential participants. This course is not for the faint of heart. It will involve intensive training in qualitative interviewing and other types of research; it will require a commitment to be there for the people who have decided to participate in the experiment; and it will require a willingness to listen and learn with humility and respect.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| Units: 2
SOC 13:
Democracy and Disagreement (COMM 3, CSRE 31, HISTORY 3C, PHIL 3, POLISCI 31, PSYCH 31A, PUBLPOL 3, RELIGST 23X)
Each class will be focused on a different topic and have guest speakers. This class will be open to students, faculty and staff to attend and also be recorded. Deep disagreement pervades our democracy, from arguments over immigration, gun control, abortion, and the Middle East crisis, to the function of elite higher education and the value of free speech itself. Loud voices drown out discussion. Open-mindedness and humility seem in short supply among politicians and citizens alike. Yet constructive disagreement is an essential feature of a democratic society. This class explores and models respectful, civil disagreement. Each week features scholars who disagree - sometimes quite strongly - about major policy issues. Students will have the opportunity to probe those disagreements, understand why they persist, and to improve their own understanding of the facts and values that underlie them.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 4 units total)
SOC 14N:
Inequality in American Society
An overview of the major forms of inequality in American society, their causes and consequences. Special attention will devoted to to public policy associated with inequality.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 4
SOC 19N:
The Immigrant Experience in Everyday Life (CHILATST 19N)
The seminar introduces students to major themes connected to the immigrant experience, including identity, education, assimilation, transnationalism, political membership, and intergroup relations. There will also be some attention given to research methodology. The seminar addresses these themes through reading ethnographies that document the everyday experience of immigrants and immigrant communities, broadly defined, in the United States. The course readings primarily come from more contemporary ethnographic research, but it will also include a sampling of ethnographies that examine the experience of previous waves of immigrants. Student participation will include in-class discussions of readings, short written responses to readings, and a final paper in which students draw on original ethnographic research that they conduct during the quarter. By the end of the quarter, students will be able to identify the social, political, and economic forces that shape the immigrant experience. More importantly, students will understand HOW these forces enter the immigrant experience in everyday life.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
SOC 21D:
Social Movements and the Internet
Over the past few decades, social movements have increasingly relied on social movement participants leveraging internet technologies in mobilization, coordination, and public outreach to assist in their movement goals. How have new online tools such as social media and digital connectivity changed the processes of contemporary social movements? This course uses a sociological perspective to examine the ways social movements have adapted to online technologies to critically think about how the internet has altered traditional forms of social movement mobilization. The first half of the course is an introduction and review of traditional social movement literatures, while the second half is focused on different contemporary social movements where the internet played an important role, including the Arab Spring, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ equality, feminism and the #MeToo movement, and most recently, the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Students will be encouraged to think about the ways in which social movement processes have been accelerated and/or changed due to the effects of online technologies.
Last offered: Summer 2021
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 31N:
Social Networks
This Introductory Seminar reviews the history of social network studies, investigates how networks have changed over the past hundred years and asks how new technologies will impact them. We will draw from scholarly publications, popular culture and personal experience as ways to approach this central aspect of the human experience.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 37Q:
Food Justice Now! Power and Politics in the Ways We Eat (CSRE 37Q, EARTHSYS 37Q)
Where does the food you eat come from? How does it get to your plate? Where does it go when you don't finish it? And why are those particular items on your plate in the first place? How and what we eat is a vastly overlooked part of everyday life, and yet comes with huge personal, societal, and environmental effects, both positive and (quite often) negative. But this isn't indicative of personal moral failings or ignorance - rather, the food system was designed this way. And it leaves many of us without choice or consent around what we put into our bodies and how our actions impact those around us, thereby exacerbating social and health inequities. This class will uncover the secret workings of the global food system and introduce students to movements and efforts towards creating a more just food future for all. We will center on the concept of 'food justice,' which includes all ideas and practices that strive to eliminate exploitation and oppression within and beyond the food system. This trajectory will take us through understandings of economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological life, both now and in the past, providing students with a unique opportunity to gain interdisciplinary knowledge of food systems. For instance, we will learn about how historical and modern-day activists and scholars draw on movements for economic, gender, racial, climate, and environmental justice, and explore the possibilities for both reformative and transformative food politics. Finally, because food production, consumption, and activism are all highly tangible practices, the class will engage in field trips to the Stanford O'Donohue Family Farm, Stanford Food Institute's Teaching Kitchen, and a local Bay Area farm to get hands-on experience with what it means to eat more ethically.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 64:
Shaping America's Future: Exploring the Key Issues on Our Path to the 2024 Elections (COMM 159B, EDUC 64)
Join us for an immersive speaker series that delves into the core of American democracy. Prominent figures from a range of politic, business, foreign policy, academia, and media will analyze the implications of the 2024 elections and the challenges our nation faces. Led by James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, explore topics such as harnessing the power of AI responsibly, addressing climate change at various levels, strengthening commitments to democracy and voting rights, safeguarding youth from the impacts of social media and technology on mental health, and ensuring accountability for wealth disparities. This series will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the elections and the broader American political landscape.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
SOC 103:
Human and Planetary Health (MED 103, PUBLPOL 183, SUSTAIN 103)
Two of the biggest challenges humanity has to face ? promoting human health and halting environmental degradation ? are strongly linked. Gains in health metrics in the last century have coincided with dramatic and unsustainable planetary-level degradation of environmental and ecological systems. Now, climate change, pollution, and other challenges are threatening the health and survival of communities across the globe. In acknowledging complex interconnections between environment and health, this course highlights how we must use an interdisciplinary approach and systems thinking to develop comprehensive solutions. Through a survey of human & planetary health topics that engages guest speakers across Stanford and beyond, students will develop an understanding of interconnected environmental and health challenges, priority areas of action, and channels for impact. Students enrolling in just the lecture should enroll for 3 units. Students enrolling the lecture and weekly discussion sections should enroll for 4 units.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI, WAY-SMA
Instructors: ;
Burke, K. (PI);
De Leo, G. (PI);
Luby, S. (PI);
Veidis, E. (PI);
Abid, A. (TA);
Gomez, L. (TA);
Lieu, B. (TA);
Martins, K. (TA);
Miller, R. (TA);
Spencer, R. (TA)
SOC 107E:
Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107, EDUC 207, SOC 205)
In this course, students will use data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) to study the patterns, causes, consequences, and remedies of educational inequality in the US. SEDA is based on 200 million test score records, administrative data, and census data from every public school, school district, and community in the US. The course will include lectures, discussion, and small group research projects using SEDA and other data.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
SOC 110:
The Role of the Privileged in Reducing Inequality and Advancing Social Justice (SOC 212)
In an era of extreme inequality, more Americans are reckoning with and pushing back on systems that have perpetuated the extreme concentration of wealth and power that is held by this nation's white male elite. Such reckoning has led to mass confusion among the privileged about what their role is in advancing social justice. Is it about speaking up, supporting quietly in the background, or getting out of the way? How much income and wealth is enough, for themselves and their children? How do their responsibilities vary based on how many zeros are in theirs bank accounts? In what ways does big philanthropy reproduce inequality, and what alternatives exist? What additional responsibilities do those who have multiple types of privilege ? such as white men ? have in society? What can we learn from historical approaches to these questions (e.g., noblesse oblige), and from historical figures like Stanley Levinson (who was Dr. King's closest white friend and confidant during the civil rights movement) and Hermann Kallenbach (who donated 4,000 acres of land to create a refuge where he lived with Gandhi and other leaders of the nonviolent resistance movement)? When we discuss these questions, we will not seek absolute answers. Instead, we will bring our lived experience and analysis to uncover insights together. Both those who identify as privileged and those who do not are welcome in this course.
| Units: 1
SOC 111:
State and Society in Korea (INTNLREL 143, SOC 211)
20th-century Korea from a comparative historical perspective. Colonialism, nationalism, development, state-society relations, democratization, and globalization with reference to the Korean experience.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
SOC 112:
Comparative Democratic Development (POLISCI 147)
Social, cultural, political, economic, and international factors affecting the development and consolidation of democracy in historical and comparative perspective. Individual country experiences with democracy, democratization, and regime performance. Emphasis is on global third wave of democratization beginning in the mid-1970s, the recent global recession of democracy (including the rise of illiberal populist parties and movements), and the contemporary challenges and prospects for democratic change.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
SOC 113Q:
Asian Americans at the Margins: Exploring Asian Identities in the United States
This seminar asks students to adopt a sociological understanding of Asian Americans by exploring the "edge cases" of this vast population. Students will engage with academic works to inform and fuel reflection and dialogue about the experiences of Asian undocumented immigrants, adoptees, refugees, and more. We will build on this academic understanding through our engagement with films, journalistic pieces, and guest speakers to contextualize these experiences. We will not only learn who they are, but where they are situated in the social fabric of the U.S. Assignments will include short reflection memos and a small research project. This course will require students to simultaneously focus on both individual biographies and macro processes. Students will be prompted to connect the lived experiences of their friends, family, and peers with a body of works that tell the multi-faceted story of the Asian American community. By the end of the quarter, students will be able to situate the unique nature of Asian American experiences at the margins within broader social processes, complicating their understandings of race and immigration.
| Units: 3
SOC 114:
Economic Sociology (SOC 214)
The sociological approach to production, distribution, consumption, and markets. The impact of norms, power, social structure, and institutions on the economy. Comparison of classic and contemporary approaches to the economy among social science disciplines. Topics: consumption, labor markets, organization of professions such as law and medicine, the economic role of informal networks, industrial organization -- including the structure and history of the computer and popular music industries, business alliances, the platform economy and capitalism in non-Western societies.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 115:
Global Human Rights and Local Practices (HUMRTS 122, INTLPOL 282, INTNLREL 125, SOC 215)
The course examines how the international community has fared in promoting and protecting human rights in the world, with an emphasis on the role of the United Nations. The course will begin with an overview of debates about the state of the international human rights system in the contemporary world, and then examine how international society has addressed the challenges of implementing universal human rights principles in different local contexts across different issues. The specific rights issues examined include genocide, children's rights, labor rights, transitional justice, women's rights, indigenous rights, NGOs, and the complicated relationship between the US and global human rights. The course will feature video conference/guest lecture sessions with leading human rights scholars and practitioners, providing students with unique opportunities to hear their expert opinions based on research and experience.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 116:
The Logic of Governance in Contemporary China (INTLPOL 224C, SOC 216)
This course examines a series of topics on the logic of governance in contemporary China. The main theme is on the role of the party state in China and its bureaucracies in organizing China, focusing on a set of institutions and mechanisms, such as variable coupling between the central and local governments, different modes of governance in the government bureaucracy, collusion among local governments, and campaign-style mobilization. Historical and comparative perspectives and empirical studies are used to illustrate the actual practice of governance in China.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
SOC 117A:
China Under Mao (SOC 217A)
(Graduate students register for 217A.) The transformation of Chinese society from the 1949 revolution to the eve of China's reforms in 1978: creation of a socialist economy, reorganization of rural society and urban workplaces, emergence of new inequalities of power and opportunity, and new forms of social conflict during Mao's Cultural Revolution of 1966-69 and its aftermath.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
SOC 118:
Social Movements and Collective Action (SOC 218)
Why social movements arise, who participates in them, the obstacles they face, the tactics they choose, and how to gauge movement success or failure. Theory and empirical research. Application of concepts and methods to social movements such as civil rights, environmental justice, antiglobalization, and anti-war.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
SOC 120:
Interpersonal Relations (SOC 220)
(Graduate students register for 220.) Forming ties, developing norms, status, conformity, deviance, social exchange, power, and coalition formation; important traditions of research have developed from the basic theories of these processes. Emphasis is on understanding basic theories and drawing out their implications for change in a broad range of situations, families, work groups, and friendship groups.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
SOC 120D:
From ICE Detention to #MeToo: Sociology of Law and Social Inequality
What does mass incarceration have in common with ICE detention? What role do little-known legal doctrines from the previous century play in making courts inaccessible to survivors of sexual assault and trans people fighting discrimination? In this class we will answer those questions by examining how the seemingly objective nature of the law makes it a potent social tool to promote the interests of the powerful at the expense of the powerless while appearing neutral. This obfuscating power of the law has long been used to reinforce and perpetuate forms of social inequality. In this class we will analyze a few notable examples of such usage of the law and their role as pillars of current social inequality: We will examine how the high burden of proof courts have placed on complainants claiming gender discrimination has blocked most targets of such discrimination from seeking legal remedy; We will examine how redlining and mass incarceration have resulted in the current rates of racial inequality; and how immigration law has resulted in a seemingly objective yet deeply racist system of detention by ICE.
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 121D:
People Analytics: Data and Algorithms as Managerial Tools
Can machine learning help businesses hire (or fire) the right people? Can data science be used to close the gender pay gap? In this class, we'll explore the promises and pitfalls of using contemporary data analytics to help organizations manage their human resources. In doing so, we'll carefully examine the cutting-edge tools used by people analysts, use formal perspectives of human organization to think through the possible consequences of implementing these solutions in a business, and reason critically about the societal and ethical implications of their proliferation. No background in data science, computer science, or advanced mathematics is assumed for this class.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 4
SOC 122:
Race, Family, and the State (CSRE 122)
Family is often imagined as a private realm, but the state has historically played an important role in its regulation, particularly for low income families and racial minorities. How do government programs work to preserve some families while destabilizing others? This course examines the racial politics of state involvement in family life in 20th century America. We will look at how important state systems such as criminal justice, immigration, welfare, and foster care have shaped the legal possibilities for family life in America. The course incorporates sociological, historical, and legal scholarship to critically assess the structural influences shaping the experiences, choices, and legal possibilities for families of color.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 123D:
Mental Health from Crisis to Construction
Mental health is an increasingly hot topic in the media. Why are high school and college students struggling with more and more mental health issues? Why are rates of depression and anxiety increasing? What is the role of social media? How can people cope with the psychological consequences of a multi-year pandemic? These conversations often culminate in the belief that there is a 'mental health crisis' plaguing the 21st century. But mental health, like other social phenomena, is not experienced in a vacuum. How does social context shape individuals' psychological experience? How might sociologists think about the idea of a mental health crisis? This course will provide an introduction to the sociology of mental health and will give you the tools to think critically about narratives around wellbeing that you may hear in your own lives. You will learn how the line between health and illness ('normal' and 'crazy') is socially constructed, how social context influences subjective experience, and how people's responses to subjective experience can change (and have changed) over time. We will also delve into demographic patterns in mental health experiences and discuss the social stigma that surrounds mental illness, mental health treatment, and diagnosis. Throughout the course, we will discuss contemporary issues around mental health - such as social media and the COVID-19 pandemic - using our sociological lens to offer explanations and insights. You will learn through reading scientific articles and books, class discussions, group work, and an independent final project that will be presented to the class at the end of the term.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 124:
Gender and Technology
Gender and Technology historicizes the process through which technical skills and modern-day American computing technologies have been imbued with masculinist associations. We explore how social processes link technical expertise to gendered domains, and how ideas about gender are shaped in turn by the resulting technologies. Students explore how American gender roles from the 19th century to the present¿as they intersect with race, class, and sexuality¿are constructed with and through technologies in order to better understand the masculinist defaults of the tech industry in the Silicon Valley.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3
SOC 124D:
The Sociology of Nature
What does is mean for something to be 'natural', and why is a connection to nature so often seen as a good thing? Drawing on perspectives from sociology, psychology, anthropology, environmental studies, and popular culture, this course analyzes how the concepts of nature and naturalness contribute to the way we make sense of our social world, including based on race, gender, beauty, morality, and politics. Students will learn about the history of environmentalism, the sociology of bodies, the economics of consumption, and the social psychology of traditionalism. Through a combination of lectures, in-class discussions, written assignments, and group projects, students will be encouraged to interrogate their own relationships with nature in order to more intentionally act towards the natural world and towards other people. Throughout, the course will prioritize a sociological lens by considering the roles of social relationships, power, scientific evidence, and inequality in cultural conceptions of nature.
Last offered: Summer 2022
| Units: 4
SOC 125:
The Rape Tax: Understanding the Financial Consequences of Sexual Assault and Trauma (FEMGEN 125S)
What are the consequences of sexual assault? How much does a sexual assault cost a person of their time, educational attainment, income, and ambitions? The goal of the course is to introduce undergraduate students to the relevant perspectives and academic research on the educational and economic consequences of sexual assault. Using a sociological lens, we will explore how experiences of sexual assault are consequential for individuals' lives beyond their physical or emotional well-being by examining how sexual assault may affect individuals' abilities to make ends meet. After briefly surveying the social determinants of sexual assault, this course will dive deeply into exploring the costs of sexual assault including the costs of reporting and engaging in the legal system, the costs to an individual's educational trajectory, the costs to an individual's ability to seek and maintain employment, the costs to making ends meet financially, and the macro-level costs for society. After surveying the literature, students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge by learning about conducting research on sexual assault as an undergraduate student, designing their own research proposal, or volunteering with an organization that engages in work on sexual assault.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3
SOC 126:
Introduction to Social Networks (SOC 226)
(Graduate students register for 226.) Theory, methods, and research. Concepts such as density, homogeneity, and centrality; applications to substantive areas. The impact of social network structure on individuals and groups in areas such as communities, neighborhoods, families, work life, and innovations. Department consent required. To enroll, students must contact Sonia Chan (schan23@stanford.edu)
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 127:
Solving Social Problems with Data (COMM 140X, DATASCI 154, EARTHSYS 153, ECON 163, MS&E 134, POLISCI 154, PUBLPOL 155)
Introduces students to the interdisciplinary intersection of data science and the social sciences through an in-depth examination of contemporary social problems. Provides a foundational skill set for solving social problems with data including quantitative analysis, modeling approaches from the social sciences and engineering, and coding skills for working directly with big data. Students will also consider the ethical dimensions of working with data and learn strategies for translating quantitative results into actionable policies and recommendations. Lectures will introduce students to the methods of data science and social science and apply these frameworks to critical 21st century challenges, including education & inequality, political polarization, and health equity & algorithmic design in the fall quarter, and social media, climate change, and school choice & segregation in the spring quarter. In-class exercises and problem sets will provide students with the opportunity to use real-world datasets to discover meaningful insights for policymakers and communities. This course is the required gateway course for the new major in Data Science & Social Systems. Preference given to Data Science & Social Systems B.A. majors and prospective majors. Course material and presentation will be at an introductory level. Enrollment and participation in one discussion section is required. Sign up for the discussion section will occur on Canvas at the start of the quarter. Prerequisites: CS106A (required), DATASCI 112 (recommended as pre or corequisite). Limited enrollment. Please complete the interest form here: https://forms.gle/8ui9RPgzxjGxJ9k29. A permission code will be given to admitted students to register for the class.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
SOC 128:
The Future of Global Systemic Risk (EARTHSYS 156, STS 156)
The global risk environment is changing. Seemingly distinct large-scale risks affect what we now realize are mutually interdependent human, socio-technical, and ecological systems. As a result, consequences are more catastrophic, and costs are set to accelerate. How do we determine the top risks of this decade to prioritize actions, and how are both risks and actions likely to evolve and interact? This course investigates the data, methods, and insights mobilized by key actors such as corporations, governments, and academics to assess systemic risk, create future scenarios, and generate predictions. What are the track records of recognized systemic risk assessment and modeling toolkits? Going forward, how can we get better at risk prevention and mitigation? This year, the course will focus on combined risks from the environmental, health, and emerging tech domains. The key objective is to quickly learn relevant vocabularies (risk, tech, and futurist) by engaging with both traditional and emerging assessment methods, in order to discover how to shape positive societal outcomes in the next decade and beyond. The course prepares students for key roles in the assessment, management, and prediction of risks, technologies, markets, industries, infrastructures, and futures. People with these skills can affect the governance principles, strategies, and leadership of corporations, philanthropies, states, economies, and entire societies.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
SOC 128D:
Analytics for a Changing Climate: Introduction to Social Data Science
Data science has rapidly gained recognition within the social sciences because it offers powerful new ways to ask questions about social systems and problems. This course will examine how tools from data science can be used to analyze pressing issues relating to disaster, inequality, and scarcity in the Anthropocene (the current period in which humans are the primary driver of planetary changes). We will explore how a range of computational methods can be used to garner new meanings from sources such as weather monitors, press releases, websites, government programs, and more. This is a hands-on, interactive course culminating in a social data science project designed by the student or a team of up to four students. Most class sessions will be taught interactively using Jupyter Notebooks. Students will follow along with workshop-style lectures by using and modifying the provided R/Python code in real time to analyze data and visualize results. The course will cover such topics as the South African water crisis, Hurricane Katrina, the California Wildfires, and water rights along the Colorado River. Students will learn to explore text data with tools such as word embeddings, topic models, and sentiment analysis. Students will gain experience with Python and R and will learn about a range of packages for cleaning data, linking and matching records, and mapping their results.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
SOC 129D:
Food, Sustainability, and Culture
There are few issues more important for human life than those concerned with sustainability. Current global trends, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, rising inequality, and increasing urbanization, raise critical questions about future environmental and social sustainability. Changes are necessary for the survival of our species, especially around how and what we eat. But how can we bring about the changes needed? In this course, we explore the historical and cultural diversity of human-environment interaction as it pertains to food and agriculture, and analyze sustainability in a variety of contexts: from the local to the global, in the past and present, in the U.S. and among small-scale societies. We'll look at development through the lens of food, and discuss sustainability in the context of globalization: whether social movements around food justice or the new world of lab-based meats. From behavioral psychology and how it contributes to environmental action, to the individual choices we make every day, this course will help you reflect on the world, your own behaviors and assumptions, and how to act in greater accordance with the Earth's limits.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| Units: 3
SOC 129X:
Urban Education (AFRICAAM 112, CSRE 112X, EDUC 112, EDUC 212, SOC 229X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP
SOC 130:
Education and Society (EDUC 120C, EDUC 220C, SOC 230)
The effects of schools and schooling on individuals, the stratification system, and society. Education as socializing individuals and as legitimizing social institutions. The social and individual factors affecting the expansion of schooling, individual educational attainment, and the organizational structure of schooling.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 130D:
Games, Competition, and Play
Dreamed up in the heat of the Cold War, game theory has encouraged generations of strategists in politics, law, the military, and academia to see conflicts as games with rules, players, choices, and payoffs. But game-theoretical situations hardly resemble the games people play in their everyday lives. During this course we study and develop social theory based on how people play games outside of behavior labs and thought experiments. What causes people to join games and how do games keep players engaged? Topics begin with traditional game theory and then expand focus to studies of competitions in settings as disparate as chess, mushroom hunting, schools, and markets.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
SOC 132D:
Body Politics: Desirability, disability, and other ways that society puts meaning on our bodies
In early education, children are often taught to think of the human body in terms of facts - for example, by learning the names of bones or the way that different bodily systems work together. Thinking of the body in this way is to employ a biomedical understanding of the human body - in the realm of science, doctors, and data. Yet, cultural understandings pervade the way that bodies are perceived, categorized, studied, and understood. What is described as 'normal' functioning of the body, and what is considered a pathology? A disability? What type of bodily variation (in body size, eyebrow shape, foot size) gets deemed as meaningful or important? What historical and social processes have shaped the types of traits that we value in a body and what we consider to be a problem? As we critically think about the human body and the social processes that drive our understanding of it, we will engage in some of the core dynamics of the field of Sociology. Throughout the course, students will learn to think about systems of inequality and stratification and power dynamics, with the human body being the application of our analyses.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
SOC 133A:
Building and Leading Inclusive Organizations (SOC 233A)
This course takes a problem-solving focus. Our main goal is to learn to design research-based interventions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes in organizations. U.S. society has become increasingly more diverse, and yet our organizations do not reflect that diversity. Further, even successful efforts to improve diversity are often not accompanied by a plan to create truly inclusive organizations that support a diverse workforce or student body. We will begin by comparing explanations for the lack of diversity and inclusion in modern organizations. We will then examine research that illustrates the cost to individuals and organizations for failing to leverage the diverse talent in our society. Guest speakers will share their challenges and successes in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the organizations where they work. Then, it will be your turn. Working in teams you will design your own research-based intervention to promote DEI at the organizational, team, and individual level and present your intervention to the class. Along the way, you will also learn effective strategies for navigating non-inclusive organizations and for being an effective change agent in your own environment.
| Units: 3
SOC 133D:
Globalization and Social Change
How do we make sense of a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected, and where social problems like climate change, democratization, human rights, and economic stability are increasingly global in their scope? How have international institutions attempted to regulate these processes and maintain social order? Why have recent social and political movements in an increasing number of countries targeted globalization as a source of their society¿s problems? In this course, we will explore how globalization is as an economic, political, and cultural process that shapes major social problems in today¿s world. To do so, we will draw on a range of theories and interdisciplinary research in economics, political science, and sociology.
Last offered: Summer 2021
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 134:
Gender and Education in Global and Comparative Perspectives (EDUC 197, FEMGEN 297)
This course introduces students to theories and perspectives from the social sciences relevant to an understanding of the role of education in relation to structures of gender differentiation, hierarchy, and power. It familiarizes students with and enables them to critically evaluate research on the status of children, adolescents, and young adults around the world and their participation patterns in various sectors of society, particularly in education. Students have the opportunity to gain research skills by designing research proposals or to develop action plans on topics of their choosing related to gender and education from global and/or comparative perspectives.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-Gender, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 136:
Sociology of Law (SOC 236)
(Graduate students register for 236) This course explores major issues and debates in the sociology of law. Topics include historical perspectives on the origins of law; rationality and legal sanctions; normative decision making and morality; cognitive decision making; crime and deviance, with particular attention to the problem of mass incarceration; the "law in action" versus the "law on the books;" organizational responses to law, particularly in the context of sexual harassment and discrimination in education and employment; the roles of lawyers, judges, and juries; and law and social change with particular emphasis on the American civil rights movement. Special Instructions: Students are expected to attend a weekly TA-led discussion section in addition to lecture. Sections will be scheduled after the start of term at times when all students can attend. Paper requirements are flexible. Cross listed with the Law School (LAW 7511). See "Special Instructions" in course description above. Elements Used in Grading: Class participation, paper proposal, three short papers and a final paper (see syllabus for details).
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 137D:
How We Live and Die: The Social Context of Health and Health Care
We are used to thinking about diseases and illnesses as biological problems that need medical solutions. For example, suppose that a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. Their cancer has an immediate, biological cause (genetic mutation) that we point to, and their doctor has an immediate, medical treatment (chemotherapy) that we can employ. This is how we think about health and practice medicine: focusing on the immediate causes and symptoms for one individual. Sociologists, however, view these situations differently, instead considering the social contexts of these diseases and thinking about the health of populations rather than of individuals. For example, perhaps they grew up in a town whose drinking water was poisoned by a local chemical factory, and this greatly increased their risk of getting cancer. How did circumstances throughout their life - many outside their control - like their socioeconomic status, government policies and local politics, and their access to medical care affect their eventually getting cancer? In this course, we will introduce key concepts from the sociology of health and illness - including fundamental causes of disease, health disparities, social determinants of health, social stress, social capital, the social construction of illness, medicalization, health care delivery, the structure of health care systems, and public policy - to examine the social causes and contexts of disease and illness. How do social conditions affect our health? What even are "diseases" or "illnesses"? Who gets sick, and who stays sick? What is medicine and health care, and how do we decide who gets them? We will apply these theoretical concepts and frameworks to these questions to understand how health and illness are not only biological processes occurring within individuals but also social processes between people, groups, and institutions.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| Units: 3
SOC 141:
Monitoring the Crisis (PSYCH 145A, PUBLPOL 141, SOC 241, URBANST 149)
A course devoted to understanding how people are faring as the country's health and economic crisis unfolds. The premise of the course is that, as important and valuable as surveys are, it's a capital mistake to presume that we know what needs to be asked and that fixed-response answers adequately convey the depth of what's happening. We introduce a new type of qualitative method that allows for discovery by capturing the voices of the people, learn what they're thinking and fearing, and understand the decisions they're making. Students are trained in immersive interviewing by completing actual interviews, coding and analyzing their field notes, and then writing reports describing what's happening across the country. These reports will be designed to find out who's hurting, why they're hurting, and how we can better respond to the crisis. Students interested should submit the following application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdOZsnpOCg4zTRbVny0ikxpZEd1AFEEJh3K9KjvINyfbWMGw/viewformnnThe course is open to students who have taken it in earlier quarters, with repeating students allowed to omit the training sessions and, in lieu of those sessions, complete additional field work and writing. Field work will include unique interviews with new participants each lab period, along with corresponding coding, analyses, and reports.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
SOC 141P:
Public Interest Tech: Case Studies (SOC 241P)
What does public interest technology look like in practice? Each week, a guest speaker will present a case study of their work to improve government and public systems through innovative methods, data-driven efforts, emerging technology, and human-centered design. Students will reflect on the practicalities, ethics, and best practices of public interest technology work.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
16 times
(up to 16 units total)
SOC 142:
Sociology of Gender (FEMGEN 142, FEMGEN 242, SOC 242)
Sociologists study taken-for-granted social categories and systems, like gender, to understand how they shape our lives. In this course, we will learn sociological approaches to understanding and studying gender. We will critically examine how gender structures society and reproduces inequality. To do this, we will use a multi-level approach, examining gender at the individual, interactional, and structural level. We will apply this framework to multiple areas of social life, including the self, the family, school, and work. This introductory course is designed to cover a range of topics in the sociology of gender, providing a baseline for further study. You will actively participate in class, bringing your own experiences while building your sociological imagination. Through a combination of lectures, in-class discussions, and papers, students will strengthen their academic analysis and writing skills.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-Gender, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 145:
Race and Ethnic Relations in the USA (CSRE 145, SOC 245)
(Graduate students register for 245.) Race and ethnic relations in the U.S. and elsewhere. The processes that render ethnic and racial boundary markers, such as skin color, language, and culture, salient in interaction situations. Why only some groups become targets of ethnic attacks. The social dynamics of ethnic hostility and ethnic/racial protest movements.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul
SOC 146:
Introduction to Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE 100, EDUC 166C, ENGLISH 172D, PSYCH 155, TAPS 165)
Race and ethnicity are often taken for granted as naturally occurring, self-evident phenomena that must be navigated or overcome to understand and eradicate the (re)production of societal hierarchies across historical, geopolitical, and institutional contexts. In contrast, this transdisciplinary course seeks to track and trouble the historical and contemporary creation, dissolution, experiences, and stakes of various ethnoracial borders. Key topics include: empire, colonialism, capital/ism, im/migration, diaspora, ideology, identity, subjectivity, scientism, intersectionality, solidarity, resistance, reproduction, and transformation. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service . (Formerly CSRE 196C)
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
SOC 147:
Race and Ethnicity Around the World (CSRE 147A, SOC 247)
(Graduate students register for 247.) How have the definitions, categories, and consequences of race and ethnicity differed across time and place? This course offers a historical and sociological survey of racialized divisions around the globe. Case studies include: affirmative action policies, policies of segregation and ghettoization, countries with genocidal pasts, invisible minorities, and countries that refuse to count their citizens by race at all.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 149:
The Urban Underclass (CSRE 149A, SOC 249, URBANST 112)
(Graduate students register for 249.) We explore the history of residential segregation, urban policy, race, discrimination, policing and mass incarceration in the US. What are the various causes and consequences of poverty? How do institutions that serve the poor work and sometimes fail? We will read deeply into the social, political, and the legal causes of today¿s conflicts.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 152:
The Social Determinants of Health (SOC 252)
When we consider a person's health, we often look first to the body. But our bodies don't exist in a vacuum: how we feel, whether we get sick, even how long we live depends on many factors beyond our biology. In this course, we will shift our focus to the world our bodies inhabit, considering how our circumstances affect our health, healthcare, and well-being. We will explore the 'social determinants' of health outcomes, including neighborhoods, social networks, healthcare systems, inequalities, and power structures. We will also reflect on what it means to live a healthy life and the extent to which individuals may or may not be able to determine their own health outcomes.n nBeyond the substantive topic of health, a core component of applying the sociological lens is being able to use research to explain and analyze the social world. To build your critical analysis skills, you will read and engage with social science research and apply theoretical concepts to empirical observations. Throughout the course, we will engage with case studies, both in class and in assignments that ask you to turn your sociological lens to health disparities in the world around you. We will also brainstorm ways to build a world without health inequality.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-SI
SOC 154:
The Politics of Algorithms (COMM 154, COMM 254, CSRE 154T, SOC 254C)
(Graduate students enroll in 254. COMM 154 is offered for 5 units, COMM 254 is offered for 4 units.) Algorithms have become central actors in today's digital world. In areas as diverse as social media, journalism, education, healthcare, and policing, computing technologies increasingly mediate communication processes. This course will provide an introduction to the social and cultural forces shaping the construction, institutionalization, and uses of algorithms. In so doing, we will explore how algorithms relate to political issues of modernization, power, and inequality. Readings will range from social scientific analyses to media coverage of ongoing controversies relating to Big Data. Students will leave the course with a better appreciation of the broader challenges associated with researching, building, and using algorithms.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 154A:
American Disaster (AMSTUD 154D, ENGLISH 154D)
How do we make sense of catastrophe? Who gets to write or make art about floods, fires, or environmental collapse? How do disaster and its depiction make visible or exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities? Beginning with the Jamestown colony and continuing to the present, this course explores the long history of disaster on the North American continent, and how it has been described by witnesses, writers, and artists. From the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic to Hurricane Katrina, the Dust Bowl to contemporary explorations of climate change, this seminar will put in conversation a wide range of primary and secondary materials. Possible texts include writings by Mike Davis, Katherine Anne Porter, Rebecca Solnit, Jesmyn Ward, and Richard Wright; films Wildlife (2018), First Reformed (2017), When the Levees Broke (2006), and Free Willy II (1995); and art by Dorothea Lange, Winslow Homer, and Richard Misrach. For the final paper, students will write a critical essay on a disaster novel, film, or other work or object of their choice, or develop their own creative piece or oral history.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
SOC 155:
The Changing American Family (FEMGEN 155, FEMGEN 255, SOC 255)
What are the historical trajectories and consequences of marriage, divorce, and premarital cohabitation? Where have gay rights come from and what is the future of gay rights in the US? What are the gender differences in marriage, family and housework? What does it mean for the personal to be political? What are the racial differences in family life and how have those differences been politicized? How did marriage equality go from being impossible to being the law of the US? We will study social change from the perspective of public opinion, legal changes, and family politics.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 156A:
The Changing American City (CSRE 156, SOC 256A, URBANST 156A)
After decades of decline, U.S. cities today are undergoing major transformations. Young professionals are flocking to cities instead of fleeing to the suburbs. Massive increases in immigration have transformed the racial and ethnic diversity of cities and their neighborhoods. Public housing projects that once defined the inner city are disappearing, and crime rates have fallen dramatically. Do these changes signal the end of residential segregation and urban inequality? Who do these changes benefit? This course will explore these issues and strategies to address them through readings and discussion, analyzing a changing neighborhood in a major city in the Bay Area in groups (which will include at least one site visit), and studying a changing neighborhood or city of their choice for their final project. The course does not have pre-requisites.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 160:
Formal Organizations (SOC 260)
(Graduate students register for 260.) Organizations are ubiquitous: they educate us, manage our finances, and structure our daily routines. They also distribute resources, status, and opportunities. This course will explore the role of formal organizations in contemporary social life, and their consequences for individuals. Drawing on a range of research in the social sciences and examples from the real world, we will examine several topics, including: the origins of organizations, how decisions are made in organizations, why some organizations survive while others die, incentives and employment relationships, how social networks shape social stratification, and what kinds of organizational policies promote diversity.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 167A:
Asia-Pacific Transformation (INTLPOL 244D, SOC 267A)
Post-WW II transformation in the Asia-Pacific region, with focus on the ascent of Japan, the development of newly industrialized capitalist countries (S. Korea and Taiwan), the emergence of socialist states (China and N. Korea), and the changing relationship between the U.S. and these countries.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
SOC 168A:
Race, Nature, and the City (CSRE 168, EARTHSYS 169, URBANST 168)
This course provides an introduction to the study of race and place within urban political ecology (UPE). Geographer Natasha Cornea defines UPE as a 'conceptual approach that understands urbanization to be a political, economic, social, and ecological process, one that often results in highly uneven and inequitable landscapes' in and beyond cities. The primary focus will be cities in the Americas, but we will draw on insights from scholars studying the mutually constitutive nature of race and place in other regions. In line with critical theories that frame intersectional experiences of race, the course readings also take into account class, gender, sexuality, and nation.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 169B:
Race and Ethnicity in Urban California: Research Seminar (AMSTUD 169B, CSRE 260B, URBANST 169B)
This course is part of an ongoing research project that examines the consequences of social, demographic, economic, and political changes in ethnic and race relations in in urban California. Students taking this course will construct will investigate a particular issue, place, policy, or event of special interest and write a 15-20-page paper. Through individualized research projects, our aim is to understand how and why policies and practices developed that isolated and marginalized communities of color leading to environmental racism, housing inequality, public health crises, socioeconomic (im)mobility, over-policing, and underserving, and (un)fair representation in city politics and governments. We will also focus on solutions. We look at the creative, challenging, and diverse ways grassroots organizers, academics, and governments at every level can work in partnership to reshape policy and rectify injustice in a variety of urban and suburban environments in California. Each paper should conclude with ideas about how to make constructive change. This course has been designated as a Cardinal Course by the Haas Center for Public Service. Cardinal Courses apply classroom knowledge to pressing social and environmental problems through reciprocal community partnerships. The units received through this course can be used towards the 12-unit requirement for the Cardinal Service transcript notation.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 170:
Classics of Modern Social Theory (SOC 270)
(Graduate students register for 270). Sociologists seek to understand how society works, specifically: how social life is organized, changed, and maintained. Sociological theory provides hypotheses for explaining social life. All empirical research in sociology is enriched by, and has some basis in, sociological theories. This course introduces students to the earliest sociological theories and the thinkers who developed them. Specifically, we will discuss the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx. We will compare and contrast how they thought about important modern-day social realities such as capitalism, racism, crime, religion, and social cohesion. We will consider how these early theories and thinkers influence the way sociologists think about and study the social world today.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
SOC 173:
Gender and Higher Education: National and International Perspectives (EDUC 173, EDUC 273, FEMGEN 173, SOC 273)
This course examines the ways in which higher education structures and policies interact with gender, gender identity, and other characteristics in the United States, around the world, and over time. Attention is paid to how changes in those structures and policies relate to access to, experiences in, and outcomes of higher education by gender. Students can expect to gain an understanding of theories and perspectives from the social sciences relevant to an understanding of the role of higher education in relation to structures of gender differentiation and hierarchy. Topics include undergraduate and graduate education; identity and sexuality; gender and science; gender and faculty; and feminist scholarship and pedagogy.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-Gender, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 174:
Social Computing (CS 278, SOC 274)
Today we interact with our friends and enemies, our team partners and romantic partners, and our organizations and societies, all through computational systems. How do we design these social computing systems - platforms for social media, online communities, and collaboration - to be effective and responsible? This course covers design patterns for social computing systems and the foundational ideas that underpin them.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-4
SOC 175:
Understanding China's Rise (GLOBAL 194, SOC 275)
This course is an overview China's national trajectory since the 1980s, and will place its historic economic advance in comparative perspective. We will examine the factors that made this advance possible, explore the ways that China's political and economic institutions are different from other major economies, and consider challenges that now appear to threaten China's continuing economic advance. Same as OSPBEIJ 20. Students may not earn credit for both OSPBEIJ 20 and Sociology 175/275.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 176:
The Social Life of Neighborhoods (AFRICAAM 76B, AMSTUD 276, CSRE 176B, SOC 276, URBANST 179)
How do neighborhoods come to be? How and why do they change? What is the role of power, money, race, immigration, segregation, culture, government, and other forces? In this course, students will interrogate these questions using literatures from sociology, geography, and political science, along with archival, observational, interview, and cartographic (GIS) methods. Students will work in small groups to create content (e.g., images, audio, and video) for a self-guided ¿neighborhood tour,¿ which will be added to a mobile app and/or website.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 179A:
Crime and Punishment in America (AFRICAAM 179A, AMSTUD 179A, CSRE 179A, SOC 279A)
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the way crime has been defined and punished in the United States. Recent social movements such as the Movement for Black Lives have drawn attention to the problem of mass incarceration and officer-involved shootings of people of color. These movements have underscored the centrality of the criminal justice system in defining citizenship, race, and democracy in America. How did our country get here? This course provides a social scientific perspective on Americas past and present approach to crime and punishment. Readings and discussions focus on racism in policing, court processing, and incarceration; the social construction of crime and violence; punishment among the privileged; the collateral consequences of punishment in poor communities of color; and normative debates about social justice, racial justice, and reforming the criminal justice system. Students will learn to gather their own knowledge and contribute to normative debates through a field report assignment and an op-ed writing assignment.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 180A:
Foundations of Social Research (SOC 280A)
Formulating a research question, developing hypotheses, probability and non-probability sampling, developing valid and reliable measures, qualitative and quantitative data, choosing research design and data collection methods, challenges of making causal inference, and criteria for evaluating the quality of social research. Emphasis is on how social research is done, rather than application of different methods. Limited enrollment; preference to Sociology and Urban Studies majors, and Sociology coterms. Department consent required. To enroll, students must contact Sonia Chan (schan23@stanford.edu).
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 180B:
Introduction to Data Analysis (SOC 280B)
Preference to sociology majors, minors, and co-terms. Methods for analyzing and evaluating quantitative data in sociological research. Students will be taught how to run and interpret multivariate regressions, how to test hypotheses, and how to read and critique published data analyses.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-AQR
SOC 183D:
Drugs, Self, and Society
From your daily cup(s) of coffee to the 'War on Drugs,' drugs touch the lives of most people. Yet, how societies deal with drug use and abuse change throughout time. In this course, we will look at drug use and abuse through a sociological lens, exploring how micro (personal), meso (interactional), and macro (structural) level forces underpin the meanings, experiences, and policies associated with drug use and abuse in the United States. Beyond this, we will examine how these forces contribute to persistent systems of inequality among different groups. This will not serve as a 'how to' course, but one in which you will be asked to critically examine the role of drugs and their effects on society. By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 184D:
Policing in Society: From Precincts to Playgrounds
We are in a moment of great national attention and debate over the role of police in society, with some calling for greater funding and resources to support community policing efforts and others calling for the abolition of the institution in its entirety. In its current form, policing has infused a surprisingly wide variety of other social institutions, ranging from healthcare to education to technology. This course examines the social underpinnings of historical and modern-day policing. We will critically analyze the trends in policing practices in the US through time, and ask how - and to what effect - police have become enmeshed in the social fabric of American life. This class will expose you to some of the methods social scientists use to investigate society's most pressing issues and help you think critically about policing in America through reading, discussing, and critiquing both popular journalism and rigorous academic research. I hope this course challenges you to consider the implications of course content beyond the confines of the classroom, leaves you with novel ways of thinking about society, and helps you become a more aware, informed, and active citizen for your future. An additional goal is to help you build proficiency in your analytical skills. With the final project, you will have the opportunity to become a creator of knowledge by collecting and analyzing your own data.
Last offered: Summer 2021
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 185D:
Gender and Politics
Despite gains in recent years, women remain dramatically underrepresented in virtually all realms of the American political system. In this course, students will become familiar with the empirical patterns and trends, social and cultural debates, and policy issues concerning the role of gender in American politics. We will examine the gender gap in voting patterns and mass political participation, as well as strategies for increasing women¿s representation. Students will come to understand the effects of women¿s lack of parity, including policy attitudes, processes, and outcomes. Furthermore, we will explore gender inequality in politics through an intersectional lens of race, class, age, education, and sexuality.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
SOC 187:
Ethics, Morality, and Markets (SOC 287)
Markets are inescapably entangled with questions of right and wrong. What counts as a fair price or a fair wage? Should people be able to sell their organs? Do companies have a responsibility to make sure algorithmic decisions don't perpetuate racism and misogyny? Even when market exchange seems coldly rational, it still embodies normative ideas about the right ways to value objects and people and to determine who gets what. In this course, we will study markets as social institutions permeated with moral meaning. We will explore how powerful actors work to institutionalize certain understandings of good and bad; unpack how particular moral visions materially benefit some groups of people more so than others; examine the ways people draw on notions of fairness to justify and contest the market's distribution of resources and opportunities; and consider who has agency to build markets according to different normative ideals. Most course readings are empirical research, so we will also critically discuss how social scientists use data and methods to build evidence about the way the world works.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
SOC 188:
One in Five: The Law, Politics, and Policy of Campus Sexual Assault (FEMGEN 143, SOC 288)
CW: SA/GBV: Access the Application Consent Form Here: https://bit.ly/One-in-Five-Application Over the past decade, the issue of campus sexual assault and harassment has exploded into the public discourse. Multiple studies have reinforced the finding that between 20-25% of college women (and a similar proportion of students identifying as transgender and gender-nonconforming, as well as approximately 10% of male students) experience sexual assault carried out through force or while the victim was incapacitated. This course delves into the complex issues of sexual assault and harassment on college campuses, examining legal, policy, and political dimensions. We explore the prevalence of these issues, the historical and social contexts, and relevant laws such as Title IX and the Clery Act. Through readings spanning social science, history, literature, law, health, and journalism, we analyze responses to campus violence, considering the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and other factors. Guest speakers, including experts and advocates, provide firsthand insights. Sensitive Material: The subject matter of this course is sensitive, and students are expected to treat the material with maturity. Much of the reading and subject matter may be upsetting and/or triggering for students who identify as survivors. This course has no therapeutic component, although supportive campus resources are available for those who need them. Elements used in grading: Grades will be based on class attendance, in-person class participation, and either several short reflection papers and a class presentation (Law section 01) or an independent research paper and class presentation, or a project and class presentation (undergraduates, graduates, and Law section 02). After the term begins, law students accepted into the course can transfer from section 01 into section 02, which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Enrollment: Requires INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION. Application consent forms are available (https://bit.ly/One-in-Five-Application) or you may contact Professor Burgart at aburgart@stanford.edu. Cross-listed with Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies ( FEMGEN 143) and Sociology ( SOC 188/288). Apply early as demand is high and enrollment is limited to 18 students. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the class is full.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 189:
Race and Immigration (CSRE 189, SOC 289)
In the contemporary United States, supposedly race-neutral immigration laws have racially-unequal consequences. Immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and the Middle East are central to ongoing debates about who's includable, and who's excludable, from American society. These present-day dynamics mirror the historical forms of exclusion imposed on immigrants from places as diverse as China, Eastern Europe, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and much of Africa. These groups' varied experiences of exclusion underscore the long-time encoding of race into U.S. immigration policy and practice. Readings and discussions center on how immigration law has become racialized in its construction and in its enforcement over the last 150 years.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 190:
Undergraduate Individual Study
Prior arrangement required.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Chang, P. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Drori, G. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Gong, R. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Jones, M. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Reese, E. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Strober, M. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Young, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI)
SOC 190A:
Public Service and Social Impact: Pathways to Purposeful Careers (CSRE 190A, ENGLISH 180, INTNLREL 74, POLISCI 74B, PUBLPOL 75B, SYMSYS 193, URBANST 190A)
How do I translate my interests and skills into a career in public service and social impact? This course will introduce you to a wide range of roles that help shape public policy and civic life, including government, education, nonprofits, social enterprises, and arts/media. It can be taken for one or two units. For one unit, you participate in a weekly, interactive speaker series designed to give you a sense for what different public service careers are like. Each week, guests describe their organizations and roles, highlight key intellectual issues and policy challenges, discuss their career paths, and describe skills crucial for the job. For a second unit, you participate in a hands-on weekly session designed to help you translate this knowledge into action. You will identify roles and organizations that might be a good match for you, build your network through informational interviewing, receive career coaching, and acquire the tools you need to launch your job or internship search. This course is intended for all students and all majors. Course content will be relevant to students soon entering the job market as well as those facing choices about courses of study and internships. Class sessions will be 60 minutes. This course is co-sponsored by the Haas Center for Public Service, the School of Humanities and Sciences, and Stanford in Government. Students taking the course for one unit (Tuesday lecture) must enroll in the -01 course option, and students taking the course for two units (Tuesday lecture and Thursday seminar) must enroll in the -02 course option. IR approved.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1-2
SOC 191:
Undergraduate Directed Research
Work on a project of student's choice under supervision of a faculty member. Prior arrangement required.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Campbell, J. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Drori, G. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Fields, C. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Gong, R. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Strober, M. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Young, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI)
SOC 192:
Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship
Work in an apprentice-like relationship with faculty on an on-going research project. Prior arrangement required.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI)
SOC 193:
Undergraduate Teaching Apprenticeship
Prior arrangement required.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
SOC 194:
Computational Undergraduate Research
Computational sociology research working with faculty on an on-going technical research project. Applications for position reviewed on a rolling basis.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
SOC 196:
Senior Thesis
Work on an honors thesis project under faculty supervision (see description of honors program). Must be arranged early in the year of graduation or before.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-15
| Repeatable
30 times
(up to 30 units total)
Instructors: ;
Antonio, A. (PI);
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Chang, P. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cohen, D. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Jones, M. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
Klenow, P. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Parker, A. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Reese, E. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Sano, S. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tsutsui, K. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI)
SOC 198:
Undergraduate Internship Practicum
For work internships under the close supervision of faculty. Prior arrangement required.
Terms: Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
SOC 199:
Community Engaged Research Practicum (CSRE 199)
This course is designed for 2024 CCSRE undergraduate summer fellows and students approaching CCSRE capstone projects in 2024-25. Our communal objective is to provide scaffolding, support, and space for critical reflection as students develop an outline and timeline for their summer or capstone project; build a foundation of knowledge, skills, and strategies to facilitate their project's success; and invest in relationships with their community partners, mentors, and peers. Rooted in critical race studies, this course is also meant to support students in learning about the varieties, limits, and possibilities of racial justice work in and beyond the academy. CCSRE undergraduate summer fellows need to sign up for the second part of this class, CSRE 199B, in the following fall quarter.
| Units: 3
SOC 202:
Junior Seminar: Preparation for Research
Required of all juniors in Sociology who plan to write an honors thesis. Students write a research prospectus and grant proposal, which may be submitted for funding. Research proposal in final assignment may be carried out in Spring or Summer Quarter; consent required for Autumn Quarter research.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
SOC 204:
Capstone Research Seminar
This course focuses on the sociological research and writing process and fulfills the Writing In the Major (WIM) requirement for Sociology majors. Students will write a substantial paper based on the research project developed in 202 or a project developed during the course. Students in the honors program or co-terms in the research track may incorporate their paper into their thesis. Sociology majors who are seniors may take Soc 204 as their sole WIM class, as a substitute for Soc 202, with no prerequisites required. The class is designed to support students as they complete an original research project during the quarter or a piece of a larger honors or master's thesis
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
SOC 204A:
Capstone Research Seminar: Part I
This course focuses on the sociological research and writing process and fulfills the Writing In the Major (WIM) requirement for Sociology majors. Students will write a substantial paper based on the research project developed in 202 or a project developed during the course. Students in the honors program or co-terms in the research track may incorporate their paper into their thesis. The class is designed to support students as they complete an original research project during the quarter or a piece of a larger honors or master's thesis
| Units: 3
SOC 204B:
Capstone Research Seminar: Part II
This course focuses on the sociological research and writing process and fulfills the Writing In the Major (WIM) requirement for Sociology majors. Students will write a substantial paper based on the research project developed in 202 or a project developed during the course. Students in the honors program or co-terms in the research track may incorporate their paper into their thesis. The class is designed to support students as they complete an original research project during the quarter or a piece of a larger honors or master's thesis
| Units: 2
SOC 204C:
Capstone Research Seminar: Part III
This course focuses on the sociological research and writing process and fulfills the Writing In the Major (WIM) requirement for Sociology majors. Students will write a substantial paper based on the research project developed in 202 or a project developed during the course. Students in the honors program or co-terms in the research track may incorporate their paper into their thesis. The class is designed to support students as they complete an original research project during the quarter or a piece of a larger honors or master's thesis
| Units: 2
SOC 205:
Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107, EDUC 207, SOC 107E)
In this course, students will use data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) to study the patterns, causes, consequences, and remedies of educational inequality in the US. SEDA is based on 200 million test score records, administrative data, and census data from every public school, school district, and community in the US. The course will include lectures, discussion, and small group research projects using SEDA and other data.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
SOC 210:
Seminar in Organizations and Institutions (EDUC 456)
This seminar considers ongoing work in organization studies through a speaker series featuring Stanford faculty, visiting scholars, and guests from academic institutions throughout North America and elsewhere.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
9 times
(up to 9 units total)
SOC 211:
State and Society in Korea (INTNLREL 143, SOC 111)
20th-century Korea from a comparative historical perspective. Colonialism, nationalism, development, state-society relations, democratization, and globalization with reference to the Korean experience.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 212:
The Role of the Privileged in Reducing Inequality and Advancing Social Justice (SOC 110)
In an era of extreme inequality, more Americans are reckoning with and pushing back on systems that have perpetuated the extreme concentration of wealth and power that is held by this nation's white male elite. Such reckoning has led to mass confusion among the privileged about what their role is in advancing social justice. Is it about speaking up, supporting quietly in the background, or getting out of the way? How much income and wealth is enough, for themselves and their children? How do their responsibilities vary based on how many zeros are in theirs bank accounts? In what ways does big philanthropy reproduce inequality, and what alternatives exist? What additional responsibilities do those who have multiple types of privilege ? such as white men ? have in society? What can we learn from historical approaches to these questions (e.g., noblesse oblige), and from historical figures like Stanley Levinson (who was Dr. King's closest white friend and confidant during the civil rights movement) and Hermann Kallenbach (who donated 4,000 acres of land to create a refuge where he lived with Gandhi and other leaders of the nonviolent resistance movement)? When we discuss these questions, we will not seek absolute answers. Instead, we will bring our lived experience and analysis to uncover insights together. Both those who identify as privileged and those who do not are welcome in this course.
| Units: 1
SOC 214:
Economic Sociology (SOC 114)
The sociological approach to production, distribution, consumption, and markets. The impact of norms, power, social structure, and institutions on the economy. Comparison of classic and contemporary approaches to the economy among social science disciplines. Topics: consumption, labor markets, organization of professions such as law and medicine, the economic role of informal networks, industrial organization -- including the structure and history of the computer and popular music industries, business alliances, the platform economy and capitalism in non-Western societies.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
SOC 215:
Global Human Rights and Local Practices (HUMRTS 122, INTLPOL 282, INTNLREL 125, SOC 115)
The course examines how the international community has fared in promoting and protecting human rights in the world, with an emphasis on the role of the United Nations. The course will begin with an overview of debates about the state of the international human rights system in the contemporary world, and then examine how international society has addressed the challenges of implementing universal human rights principles in different local contexts across different issues. The specific rights issues examined include genocide, children's rights, labor rights, transitional justice, women's rights, indigenous rights, NGOs, and the complicated relationship between the US and global human rights. The course will feature video conference/guest lecture sessions with leading human rights scholars and practitioners, providing students with unique opportunities to hear their expert opinions based on research and experience.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 216:
The Logic of Governance in Contemporary China (INTLPOL 224C, SOC 116)
This course examines a series of topics on the logic of governance in contemporary China. The main theme is on the role of the party state in China and its bureaucracies in organizing China, focusing on a set of institutions and mechanisms, such as variable coupling between the central and local governments, different modes of governance in the government bureaucracy, collusion among local governments, and campaign-style mobilization. Historical and comparative perspectives and empirical studies are used to illustrate the actual practice of governance in China.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
SOC 217A:
China Under Mao (SOC 117A)
(Graduate students register for 217A.) The transformation of Chinese society from the 1949 revolution to the eve of China's reforms in 1978: creation of a socialist economy, reorganization of rural society and urban workplaces, emergence of new inequalities of power and opportunity, and new forms of social conflict during Mao's Cultural Revolution of 1966-69 and its aftermath.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 5
SOC 217B:
Chinese Politics and Society (HISTORY 293F, HISTORY 393F, SOC 317B)
(Doctoral students register for 317B.) This seminar examines scholarship on major political developments in the People's Republic of China during its first four decades. The topics to be explored in depth this year include the incorporation of Tibet and Xinjiang into the new Chinese nation-state during the 1950s, political violence during the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s, and the nationwide political upheavals of 1989.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom
SOC 218:
Social Movements and Collective Action (SOC 118)
Why social movements arise, who participates in them, the obstacles they face, the tactics they choose, and how to gauge movement success or failure. Theory and empirical research. Application of concepts and methods to social movements such as civil rights, environmental justice, antiglobalization, and anti-war.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 220:
Interpersonal Relations (SOC 120)
(Graduate students register for 220.) Forming ties, developing norms, status, conformity, deviance, social exchange, power, and coalition formation; important traditions of research have developed from the basic theories of these processes. Emphasis is on understanding basic theories and drawing out their implications for change in a broad range of situations, families, work groups, and friendship groups.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 4
SOC 224B:
Relational Sociology (EDUC 312)
Conversations, social relationships and social networks are the core features of social life. In this course we explore how conversations, relationships, and social networks not only have their own unique and independent characteristics, but how they shape one another and come to characterize many of the settings we enter and live in. As such, students will be introduced to theories and research methodologies concerning social interaction, social relationships, and social networks, as well as descriptions of how these research strands interrelate to form a larger relational sociology that can be employed to characterize a variety of social phenomenon. This course is suitable to advanced undergraduates and doctoral students.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-4
SOC 226:
Introduction to Social Networks (SOC 126)
(Graduate students register for 226.) Theory, methods, and research. Concepts such as density, homogeneity, and centrality; applications to substantive areas. The impact of social network structure on individuals and groups in areas such as communities, neighborhoods, families, work life, and innovations. Department consent required. To enroll, students must contact Sonia Chan (schan23@stanford.edu)
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
SOC 229X:
Urban Education (AFRICAAM 112, CSRE 112X, EDUC 112, EDUC 212, SOC 129X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 230:
Education and Society (EDUC 120C, EDUC 220C, SOC 130)
The effects of schools and schooling on individuals, the stratification system, and society. Education as socializing individuals and as legitimizing social institutions. The social and individual factors affecting the expansion of schooling, individual educational attainment, and the organizational structure of schooling.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
SOC 231:
Global Social Change, Sustainable Development, and Education (EDUC 136, EDUC 306D, SUSTAIN 226)
Focuses on the relations between education and sustainable development from a comparative cross-national perspective. The course covers questions and debates around education for sustainable development and the nature of "the global"; global influences on national institutions of sustainable development; and key themes in the cross-national study of education for sustainable development such as stratification and achievement, gender, human rights, and the global authority of science and experts.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
SOC 233A:
Building and Leading Inclusive Organizations (SOC 133A)
This course takes a problem-solving focus. Our main goal is to learn to design research-based interventions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes in organizations. U.S. society has become increasingly more diverse, and yet our organizations do not reflect that diversity. Further, even successful efforts to improve diversity are often not accompanied by a plan to create truly inclusive organizations that support a diverse workforce or student body. We will begin by comparing explanations for the lack of diversity and inclusion in modern organizations. We will then examine research that illustrates the cost to individuals and organizations for failing to leverage the diverse talent in our society. Guest speakers will share their challenges and successes in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the organizations where they work. Then, it will be your turn. Working in teams you will design your own research-based intervention to promote DEI at the organizational, team, and individual level and present your intervention to the class. Along the way, you will also learn effective strategies for navigating non-inclusive organizations and for being an effective change agent in your own environment.
| Units: 3
SOC 236:
Sociology of Law (SOC 136)
(Graduate students register for 236) This course explores major issues and debates in the sociology of law. Topics include historical perspectives on the origins of law; rationality and legal sanctions; normative decision making and morality; cognitive decision making; crime and deviance, with particular attention to the problem of mass incarceration; the "law in action" versus the "law on the books;" organizational responses to law, particularly in the context of sexual harassment and discrimination in education and employment; the roles of lawyers, judges, and juries; and law and social change with particular emphasis on the American civil rights movement. Special Instructions: Students are expected to attend a weekly TA-led discussion section in addition to lecture. Sections will be scheduled after the start of term at times when all students can attend. Paper requirements are flexible. Cross listed with the Law School (LAW 7511). See "Special Instructions" in course description above. Elements Used in Grading: Class participation, paper proposal, three short papers and a final paper (see syllabus for details).
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
SOC 238:
Market Oriented Policies in Education (EDUC 238)
Introducing market dynamics in education remains a highly controversial policy issue. In this course we will discuss the main ideas supporting the market approach in education and the key arguments against these policies; we will also review some of the evidence concerning the effects of market policies in education such as privatization, vouchers, and school choice; and finally, we will study several issues related to market oriented reforms, such as performance accountability, school segregation, and peer effects in education.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-4
SOC 241:
Monitoring the Crisis (PSYCH 145A, PUBLPOL 141, SOC 141, URBANST 149)
A course devoted to understanding how people are faring as the country's health and economic crisis unfolds. The premise of the course is that, as important and valuable as surveys are, it's a capital mistake to presume that we know what needs to be asked and that fixed-response answers adequately convey the depth of what's happening. We introduce a new type of qualitative method that allows for discovery by capturing the voices of the people, learn what they're thinking and fearing, and understand the decisions they're making. Students are trained in immersive interviewing by completing actual interviews, coding and analyzing their field notes, and then writing reports describing what's happening across the country. These reports will be designed to find out who's hurting, why they're hurting, and how we can better respond to the crisis. Students interested should submit the following application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdOZsnpOCg4zTRbVny0ikxpZEd1AFEEJh3K9KjvINyfbWMGw/viewformnnThe course is open to students who have taken it in earlier quarters, with repeating students allowed to omit the training sessions and, in lieu of those sessions, complete additional field work and writing. Field work will include unique interviews with new participants each lab period, along with corresponding coding, analyses, and reports.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 4-5
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
SOC 241P:
Public Interest Tech: Case Studies (SOC 141P)
What does public interest technology look like in practice? Each week, a guest speaker will present a case study of their work to improve government and public systems through innovative methods, data-driven efforts, emerging technology, and human-centered design. Students will reflect on the practicalities, ethics, and best practices of public interest technology work.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
16 times
(up to 16 units total)
SOC 242:
Sociology of Gender (FEMGEN 142, FEMGEN 242, SOC 142)
Sociologists study taken-for-granted social categories and systems, like gender, to understand how they shape our lives. In this course, we will learn sociological approaches to understanding and studying gender. We will critically examine how gender structures society and reproduces inequality. To do this, we will use a multi-level approach, examining gender at the individual, interactional, and structural level. We will apply this framework to multiple areas of social life, including the self, the family, school, and work. This introductory course is designed to cover a range of topics in the sociology of gender, providing a baseline for further study. You will actively participate in class, bringing your own experiences while building your sociological imagination. Through a combination of lectures, in-class discussions, and papers, students will strengthen their academic analysis and writing skills.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
SOC 245:
Race and Ethnic Relations in the USA (CSRE 145, SOC 145)
(Graduate students register for 245.) Race and ethnic relations in the U.S. and elsewhere. The processes that render ethnic and racial boundary markers, such as skin color, language, and culture, salient in interaction situations. Why only some groups become targets of ethnic attacks. The social dynamics of ethnic hostility and ethnic/racial protest movements.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 4
SOC 246A:
Ethnographies of Race, Crime, and Justice (SOC 346A)
This course provides graduate students with a survey introduction to influential ethnographic and interview-based sociological research on race, crime, and justice. Recent social movements such as the Movement for Black Lives have drawn attention to the problem of mass criminalization in the U.S. These movements have underscored the centrality of the criminal legal system in defining race in America. Each week, students will read ethnographic books and journal articles on the role of race and racism in different dimensions of the criminal legal process from policing to court processing to incarceration written in the early twentieth century to the present. In addition to gaining foundational knowledge on the key debates within the sociological and criminological literature, students will also gain important insight into the most rigorous qualitative social science methods for studying these topics, and how these methods have changed over time.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 4-5
SOC 247:
Race and Ethnicity Around the World (CSRE 147A, SOC 147)
(Graduate students register for 247.) How have the definitions, categories, and consequences of race and ethnicity differed across time and place? This course offers a historical and sociological survey of racialized divisions around the globe. Case studies include: affirmative action policies, policies of segregation and ghettoization, countries with genocidal pasts, invisible minorities, and countries that refuse to count their citizens by race at all.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
SOC 249:
The Urban Underclass (CSRE 149A, SOC 149, URBANST 112)
(Graduate students register for 249.) We explore the history of residential segregation, urban policy, race, discrimination, policing and mass incarceration in the US. What are the various causes and consequences of poverty? How do institutions that serve the poor work and sometimes fail? We will read deeply into the social, political, and the legal causes of today¿s conflicts.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
SOC 252:
The Social Determinants of Health (SOC 152)
When we consider a person's health, we often look first to the body. But our bodies don't exist in a vacuum: how we feel, whether we get sick, even how long we live depends on many factors beyond our biology. In this course, we will shift our focus to the world our bodies inhabit, considering how our circumstances affect our health, healthcare, and well-being. We will explore the 'social determinants' of health outcomes, including neighborhoods, social networks, healthcare systems, inequalities, and power structures. We will also reflect on what it means to live a healthy life and the extent to which individuals may or may not be able to determine their own health outcomes.n nBeyond the substantive topic of health, a core component of applying the sociological lens is being able to use research to explain and analyze the social world. To build your critical analysis skills, you will read and engage with social science research and apply theoretical concepts to empirical observations. Throughout the course, we will engage with case studies, both in class and in assignments that ask you to turn your sociological lens to health disparities in the world around you. We will also brainstorm ways to build a world without health inequality.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 4
SOC 254C:
The Politics of Algorithms (COMM 154, COMM 254, CSRE 154T, SOC 154)
(Graduate students enroll in 254. COMM 154 is offered for 5 units, COMM 254 is offered for 4 units.) Algorithms have become central actors in today's digital world. In areas as diverse as social media, journalism, education, healthcare, and policing, computing technologies increasingly mediate communication processes. This course will provide an introduction to the social and cultural forces shaping the construction, institutionalization, and uses of algorithms. In so doing, we will explore how algorithms relate to political issues of modernization, power, and inequality. Readings will range from social scientific analyses to media coverage of ongoing controversies relating to Big Data. Students will leave the course with a better appreciation of the broader challenges associated with researching, building, and using algorithms.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
SOC 255:
The Changing American Family (FEMGEN 155, FEMGEN 255, SOC 155)
What are the historical trajectories and consequences of marriage, divorce, and premarital cohabitation? Where have gay rights come from and what is the future of gay rights in the US? What are the gender differences in marriage, family and housework? What does it mean for the personal to be political? What are the racial differences in family life and how have those differences been politicized? How did marriage equality go from being impossible to being the law of the US? We will study social change from the perspective of public opinion, legal changes, and family politics.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
SOC 256A:
The Changing American City (CSRE 156, SOC 156A, URBANST 156A)
After decades of decline, U.S. cities today are undergoing major transformations. Young professionals are flocking to cities instead of fleeing to the suburbs. Massive increases in immigration have transformed the racial and ethnic diversity of cities and their neighborhoods. Public housing projects that once defined the inner city are disappearing, and crime rates have fallen dramatically. Do these changes signal the end of residential segregation and urban inequality? Who do these changes benefit? This course will explore these issues and strategies to address them through readings and discussion, analyzing a changing neighborhood in a major city in the Bay Area in groups (which will include at least one site visit), and studying a changing neighborhood or city of their choice for their final project. The course does not have pre-requisites.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 258B:
Quasi-Experimental Research Design & Analysis (EDUC 430B)
This course surveys quantitative methods to make causal inferences in the absence of randomized experiment including the use of natural and quasi-experiments, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, fixed effects estimators, and difference-in-differences. We emphasize the proper interpretation of these research designs and critical engagement with their key assumptions for applied researchers. Prerequisites: Prior training in multivariate regression (e.g., ECON 102B or the permission of the instructor).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
SOC 258C:
Using Data to Describe the World: Descriptive Social Science Research Techniques (EDUC 430C)
This course focuses on the skills needed to conduct theoretically-informed and policy-relevant descriptive social science. Students read recent examples of rigorous descriptive quantitative research that exemplifies the use of data to describe important phenomena related to educational and social inequality. The course will help develop skills necessary to conceptualize, operationalize, and communicate descriptive research, including techniques related to measurement and measurement error, data harmonization, data reduction, and visualization. Students develop a descriptive project during the course. Prerequisite: satisfactory completion of a course in multivariate regression.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 10 units total)
SOC 260:
Formal Organizations (SOC 160)
(Graduate students register for 260.) Organizations are ubiquitous: they educate us, manage our finances, and structure our daily routines. They also distribute resources, status, and opportunities. This course will explore the role of formal organizations in contemporary social life, and their consequences for individuals. Drawing on a range of research in the social sciences and examples from the real world, we will examine several topics, including: the origins of organizations, how decisions are made in organizations, why some organizations survive while others die, incentives and employment relationships, how social networks shape social stratification, and what kinds of organizational policies promote diversity.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4
SOC 267A:
Asia-Pacific Transformation (INTLPOL 244D, SOC 167A)
Post-WW II transformation in the Asia-Pacific region, with focus on the ascent of Japan, the development of newly industrialized capitalist countries (S. Korea and Taiwan), the emergence of socialist states (China and N. Korea), and the changing relationship between the U.S. and these countries.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
SOC 270:
Classics of Modern Social Theory (SOC 170)
(Graduate students register for 270). Sociologists seek to understand how society works, specifically: how social life is organized, changed, and maintained. Sociological theory provides hypotheses for explaining social life. All empirical research in sociology is enriched by, and has some basis in, sociological theories. This course introduces students to the earliest sociological theories and the thinkers who developed them. Specifically, we will discuss the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx. We will compare and contrast how they thought about important modern-day social realities such as capitalism, racism, crime, religion, and social cohesion. We will consider how these early theories and thinkers influence the way sociologists think about and study the social world today.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
SOC 273:
Gender and Higher Education: National and International Perspectives (EDUC 173, EDUC 273, FEMGEN 173, SOC 173)
This course examines the ways in which higher education structures and policies interact with gender, gender identity, and other characteristics in the United States, around the world, and over time. Attention is paid to how changes in those structures and policies relate to access to, experiences in, and outcomes of higher education by gender. Students can expect to gain an understanding of theories and perspectives from the social sciences relevant to an understanding of the role of higher education in relation to structures of gender differentiation and hierarchy. Topics include undergraduate and graduate education; identity and sexuality; gender and science; gender and faculty; and feminist scholarship and pedagogy.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
SOC 274:
Social Computing (CS 278, SOC 174)
Today we interact with our friends and enemies, our team partners and romantic partners, and our organizations and societies, all through computational systems. How do we design these social computing systems - platforms for social media, online communities, and collaboration - to be effective and responsible? This course covers design patterns for social computing systems and the foundational ideas that underpin them.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-4
SOC 275:
Understanding China's Rise (GLOBAL 194, SOC 175)
This course is an overview China's national trajectory since the 1980s, and will place its historic economic advance in comparative perspective. We will examine the factors that made this advance possible, explore the ways that China's political and economic institutions are different from other major economies, and consider challenges that now appear to threaten China's continuing economic advance. Same as OSPBEIJ 20. Students may not earn credit for both OSPBEIJ 20 and Sociology 175/275.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 276:
The Social Life of Neighborhoods (AFRICAAM 76B, AMSTUD 276, CSRE 176B, SOC 176, URBANST 179)
How do neighborhoods come to be? How and why do they change? What is the role of power, money, race, immigration, segregation, culture, government, and other forces? In this course, students will interrogate these questions using literatures from sociology, geography, and political science, along with archival, observational, interview, and cartographic (GIS) methods. Students will work in small groups to create content (e.g., images, audio, and video) for a self-guided ¿neighborhood tour,¿ which will be added to a mobile app and/or website.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 4
SOC 279A:
Crime and Punishment in America (AFRICAAM 179A, AMSTUD 179A, CSRE 179A, SOC 179A)
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the way crime has been defined and punished in the United States. Recent social movements such as the Movement for Black Lives have drawn attention to the problem of mass incarceration and officer-involved shootings of people of color. These movements have underscored the centrality of the criminal justice system in defining citizenship, race, and democracy in America. How did our country get here? This course provides a social scientific perspective on Americas past and present approach to crime and punishment. Readings and discussions focus on racism in policing, court processing, and incarceration; the social construction of crime and violence; punishment among the privileged; the collateral consequences of punishment in poor communities of color; and normative debates about social justice, racial justice, and reforming the criminal justice system. Students will learn to gather their own knowledge and contribute to normative debates through a field report assignment and an op-ed writing assignment.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 4-5
SOC 280A:
Foundations of Social Research (SOC 180A)
Formulating a research question, developing hypotheses, probability and non-probability sampling, developing valid and reliable measures, qualitative and quantitative data, choosing research design and data collection methods, challenges of making causal inference, and criteria for evaluating the quality of social research. Emphasis is on how social research is done, rather than application of different methods. Limited enrollment; preference to Sociology and Urban Studies majors, and Sociology coterms. Department consent required. To enroll, students must contact Sonia Chan (schan23@stanford.edu).
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
SOC 280B:
Introduction to Data Analysis (SOC 180B)
Preference to sociology majors, minors, and co-terms. Methods for analyzing and evaluating quantitative data in sociological research. Students will be taught how to run and interpret multivariate regressions, how to test hypotheses, and how to read and critique published data analyses.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
SOC 281:
Natural Language Processing in the Social Sciences (PSYCH 290, SYMSYS 195T)
Digital communications (including social media) are the largest data sets of our time, and most of them are text. Social scientists need to be able to digest small and big data sets alike, process them and extract psychological insight. This applied and project-focused course introduces students to a Python codebase developed to facilitate text analysis in the social sciences (see dlatk.wwbp.org -- knowledge of Python is helpful but not required). The goal is to practice these methods in guided tutorials and project-based work so that the students can apply them to their own research contexts and be prepared to write up the results for publication. The course will provide best practices, as well as access to and familiarity with a Linux-based server environment to process text, including the extraction of words and phrases, topics, and psychological dictionaries. We will also practice the use of machine learning based on text data for psychological assessment, and the further statistical analysis of language variables in R. The course has no computer science prerequisites. Familiarity with Python, SSH, and basic Linux is helpful but not required ¿ they will be minimally introduced in the course, as will SQL (databases) and Jupyter notebooks. Understanding regression, basic familiarity with R, and the ability to wrangle your data into spreadsheet form are expected. For more information, please see psych290.stanford.edu, where you will be able to access the google form to apply for the class.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
SOC 287:
Ethics, Morality, and Markets (SOC 187)
Markets are inescapably entangled with questions of right and wrong. What counts as a fair price or a fair wage? Should people be able to sell their organs? Do companies have a responsibility to make sure algorithmic decisions don't perpetuate racism and misogyny? Even when market exchange seems coldly rational, it still embodies normative ideas about the right ways to value objects and people and to determine who gets what. In this course, we will study markets as social institutions permeated with moral meaning. We will explore how powerful actors work to institutionalize certain understandings of good and bad; unpack how particular moral visions materially benefit some groups of people more so than others; examine the ways people draw on notions of fairness to justify and contest the market's distribution of resources and opportunities; and consider who has agency to build markets according to different normative ideals. Most course readings are empirical research, so we will also critically discuss how social scientists use data and methods to build evidence about the way the world works.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 4
SOC 288:
One in Five: The Law, Politics, and Policy of Campus Sexual Assault (FEMGEN 143, SOC 188)
CW: SA/GBV: Access the Application Consent Form Here: https://bit.ly/One-in-Five-Application Over the past decade, the issue of campus sexual assault and harassment has exploded into the public discourse. Multiple studies have reinforced the finding that between 20-25% of college women (and a similar proportion of students identifying as transgender and gender-nonconforming, as well as approximately 10% of male students) experience sexual assault carried out through force or while the victim was incapacitated. This course delves into the complex issues of sexual assault and harassment on college campuses, examining legal, policy, and political dimensions. We explore the prevalence of these issues, the historical and social contexts, and relevant laws such as Title IX and the Clery Act. Through readings spanning social science, history, literature, law, health, and journalism, we analyze responses to campus violence, considering the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and other factors. Guest speakers, including experts and advocates, provide firsthand insights. Sensitive Material: The subject matter of this course is sensitive, and students are expected to treat the material with maturity. Much of the reading and subject matter may be upsetting and/or triggering for students who identify as survivors. This course has no therapeutic component, although supportive campus resources are available for those who need them. Elements used in grading: Grades will be based on class attendance, in-person class participation, and either several short reflection papers and a class presentation (Law section 01) or an independent research paper and class presentation, or a project and class presentation (undergraduates, graduates, and Law section 02). After the term begins, law students accepted into the course can transfer from section 01 into section 02, which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Enrollment: Requires INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION. Application consent forms are available (https://bit.ly/One-in-Five-Application) or you may contact Professor Burgart at aburgart@stanford.edu. Cross-listed with Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies ( FEMGEN 143) and Sociology ( SOC 188/288). Apply early as demand is high and enrollment is limited to 18 students. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the class is full.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 289:
Race and Immigration (CSRE 189, SOC 189)
In the contemporary United States, supposedly race-neutral immigration laws have racially-unequal consequences. Immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and the Middle East are central to ongoing debates about who's includable, and who's excludable, from American society. These present-day dynamics mirror the historical forms of exclusion imposed on immigrants from places as diverse as China, Eastern Europe, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and much of Africa. These groups' varied experiences of exclusion underscore the long-time encoding of race into U.S. immigration policy and practice. Readings and discussions center on how immigration law has become racialized in its construction and in its enforcement over the last 150 years.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
SOC 290:
Coterminal MA individual study
Prior arrangement required
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
Instructors: ;
Antonio, A. (PI);
Asad, A. (PI);
Christin, A. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Fields, C. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hahn, M. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Jones, M. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Pedulla, D. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Samson, F. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Strober, M. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Wotipka, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI);
reardon, s. (PI)
SOC 291:
Coterminal MA directed research
Work on a project of student's choice under supervision of a faculty member. Prior arrangement required
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
Instructors: ;
Antonio, A. (PI);
Asad, A. (PI);
Christin, A. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Fields, C. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Jones, M. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
Meyersson Milgrom, E. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Pedulla, D. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Samson, F. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Strober, M. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Wotipka, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI);
reardon, s. (PI)
SOC 292:
Coterminal MA research apprenticeship
Work in an apprentice-like relationship with faculty on an on-going research project. Prior arrangement required
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 20 units total)
Instructors: ;
Antonio, A. (PI);
Asad, A. (PI);
Bromley, P. (PI);
Christin, A. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Fields, C. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Jones, M. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Pedulla, D. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Samson, F. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Strober, M. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Wotipka, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI);
reardon, s. (PI)
SOC 297:
Globalization and Higher Education (EDUC 349)
This course examines the expansion, impact, and organization of higher education across the world. This course engages students with sociological theory and comparative research on global and national sources of influence on higher education developments, e.g. admissions criteria, curricular content, governance structure.. At the end of the course students should be able to compare and contrast developments across countries.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
SOC 298:
The Social Psychology of Contemporary American Politics (PSYCH 270, SOC 398)
Where do people's political attitudes and behaviors come from, and how can they be changed? Social and psychological factors powerfully influence political views, and research in this area can help to understand our often confusing political landscape. Understanding the causal architecture of political attitudes and behavior is essential for taking effective political action, especially in this time of deep and growing political divides. In this class we will read and discuss cutting-edge research from social psychology, sociology, political science, and beyond on topics such as polarization, persuasion, social activism, inequality, racial prejudice, and populism. Enrollment for SOC 298 is by permission of instructor.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
SOC 300:
Workshop: The Art and Joy of Teaching
Note: for first-year Sociology Doctoral Students only. This class will prepare you to teach Stanford students in your role as a TA or instructor. It rests on the idea that teaching is both an art to learn and cultivate, and a source of great joy and personal meaning during your graduate career and beyond. The course's main goal is to help you become an effective instructor in your day-to-day teaching, covering skills such as how to deliver a powerful lecture, lead an engaging discussion section, build an inclusive classroom, describe your personal pedagogy to others, juggle teaching logistics and competing demands, and make the best use of technology and campus resources. You will also discover that teaching is, above all, a deeply personal process that should take into account the different backgrounds, stories, and learning styles of both students and instructors to enable students to flourish academically and personally. Throughout this class, we will explore different philosophies and ways of teaching so that you can cultivate and employ your own, personalized pedagogy. It is my hope that you will use this course as a springboard to embark on your own teaching journey. With a growth mindset and the right tools in our hands, we can begin to both transform and be transformed by our students: this is the art and joy of teaching.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 2
SOC 302A:
Introduction to Education Data Science: Data Processing (EDUC 423A)
Quantitative data require considerable work before they are ready to be analyzed: they are often messy, incomplete and potentially biased. This course is designed to help you thoughtfully collect, manage, clean and represent data so it can offer substantive information researchers can act upon. In our weekly sessions you will take a critical and reflective approach to these tasks and learn the technical skills needed to get your data into shape. Education and social science datasets will be our focus.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
SOC 302B:
Introduction to Education Data Science: Data Analysis (EDUC 423B)
This course centers on the question of how you can use various data science techniques to understand social phenomena. Applied to education and social science topics, the course will introduce you to supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms, new data, and provide you the skills to thoughtfully evaluate and assess machine learning performance and implications.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
SOC 305:
Graduate Proseminar
For first-year Sociology doctoral students only, Introduction and orientation to the field of Sociology. May be repeat for credit
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 309:
Nations and Nationalism
The nation as a form of collective identity in the modern era. Major works in the study of nations and nationalism from comparative perspectives with focus on Europe and E. Asia.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
SOC 310:
Political Sociology
Theory and research on the relationship between social structure and politics. Social foundations of political order, the generation and transformation of ideologies and political identities, social origins of revolutionary movements, and social consequences of political revolution. Prerequisite: doctoral student.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 4-5
SOC 311A:
Workshop: Comparative Sociology (EDUC 387)
Analysis of quantitative and longitudinal data on national educational systems and political structures. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 314:
Economic Sociology
Classical and contemporary literature covering the sociological approach to markets and the economy, and comparison to other disciplines. Topics: consumption, labor, professions, industrial organization, and the varieties of capitalism; historical and comparative perspectives on market and non-market provision of goods and services, and on recent developments such as the platform economy . The relative impact of culture, institutions, norms, social networks, technology, and material conditions. Prerequisite: doctoral student status or consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
SOC 315W:
Workshop: Economic Sociology and Organizations
Theory, methods, and research in the sociology of the economy and of formal organizations, through presentations of ongoing work by students, faculty, and guest speakers, and discussion of recent literature and controversies. May be repeated for credit. Restricted to doctoral students; others by consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
15 times
(up to 30 units total)
SOC 316:
Historical and Comparative Sociology
Theory and research on macro-historical changes of sociological significance such as the rise of capitalism, the causes and consequences of revolutions, and the formation of the modern nation state and global world system. Methodological issues in historical and comparative sociology.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
SOC 317B:
Chinese Politics and Society (HISTORY 293F, HISTORY 393F, SOC 217B)
(Doctoral students register for 317B.) This seminar examines scholarship on major political developments in the People's Republic of China during its first four decades. The topics to be explored in depth this year include the incorporation of Tibet and Xinjiang into the new Chinese nation-state during the 1950s, political violence during the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s, and the nationwide political upheavals of 1989.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
SOC 317W:
Computational Sociology (EDUC 317)
Yearlong workshop where doctoral students are encouraged to collaborate with peers and faculty who share an interest in employing computational techniques in the pursuit of researching social network dynamics, text analysis, histories, and theories of action that help explain social phenomena. Students present their own research and provide helpful feedback on others' work. Presentations may concern dissertation proposals, grants, article submissions, book proposals, datasets, methodologies and other texts. Repeatable for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 318:
Social Movements and Collective Action
Topics: causes, dynamics, and outcomes of social movements; organizational dimensions of collective action; and causes and consequences of individual activism.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4-5
SOC 319:
Ethnographic Methods (COMM 314)
This course offers an introduction to the practice and politics of ethnographic fieldwork. It provides a "how to" of ethnographic research, in which students will conduct an ethnographic project of their own, complemented by weekly readings and discussions. In the process, we will discuss the theory and epistemology of fieldwork, along with the practicalities and politics of fieldwork in different domains. We will examine different stages of ethnographic research (entering the field, conducting and recording fieldwork, exiting the field and writing it up), different methods (observations, interviews, "going along"), as well as distinct styles of ethnographic work (virtual ethnography, organizational ethnography, narrative ethnography, etc.). The course will serve as a participative workshop for students to exchange field notes, share practical advice, and consolidate their research interests. Email instructor for permission to enroll.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-5
SOC 321:
Nonprofits, Philanthropy & Society (EDUC 321, PUBLPOL 321)
Over the past several decades nonprofit organizations have become increasingly central entities in society, and with this growing status and importance their roles are increasingly complex.We consider the social, political and economic dynamics of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, focusing mainly (but not exclusively) on the US. The class is best suited for graduate students looking for an advanced analytic understanding of the sector and those wishing to conduct research in the field; it is not intended to provide training in nonprofit management.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
SOC 323:
Sociology of the Family
Sociological research on changing family forms. Topics include courtship, marriage, fertility, divorce, conflict, relationship skills and satisfaction, gender patterns, power relations within the family, and class and race differences in patterns. Enrollment limited to graduate students.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4-5
SOC 325:
What is Social Science? (EDUC 472, STS 200R)
This course explores a series of foundational questions concerning the social sciences (e.g., sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, history, and applied fields of education and business). What is social science? Where did it come from and how did it emerge? What topics does it concern? Are social science topics different from topics and subject matter in other fields like the science and the humanities? Are the goals and questions of social science different from that of science and the humanities? How so? What sort of knowledge does social science try to establish? What kinds of methods does it employ? What sorts of disputes persist within the social sciences? What similarities and divisions exist among social scientific fields and why? This course is a graduate level seminar where students are asked to read challenging texts, discuss them, and offer constructive critiques in writing. Advanced undergraduates need instructor permission to register.
| Units: 4
SOC 325W:
Workshop: Graduate Family
PhD students will present their own work weekly, and read and critique the research-in-progress of their peers on issues of family, household structure, interpersonal relationships, marriage, demography, survey data, demographic methods, statistical methods, and related fields. May be repeat for credit starting 8/1/2016.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 326:
Identity Politics (POLISCI 426)
Whether one considers the partisan and electoral choices citizens make or the judgements citizens render in response to officer-involved shootings or other salient social and political events, the centrality of identity in our politics is indisputable. But what is an identity? What are the conditions under which identities become politicized? How do identities work to structure attitudes and affect behavior? This course is all about identity and its intersection with politics. Taking an interdisciplinary and cross-subfield approach, this course seeks to bring students into conversation with scholarship that demonstrates the powerful ways that identities influence all aspects of the political. Though much of our time will be spent reading about race and racial identification in the context of American politics, students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively about identity as it relates to their own intellectual interests. In addition to being active and engaged seminar participants, students will be required to submit a final research paper that uses concepts, themes, and ideas from the course to explore a research question of their choosing.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
SOC 330:
Sociology of Science (EDUC 120, EDUC 320, STS 200Q)
This course explores the social construction of scientific knowledge from various perspectives. The course begins by taking stock of core philosophical theories on scientific knowledge and then it proceeds to ask how various authors have described and characterized this knowledge as socially embedded and constructed. Through this course we will ask what sort of knowledge is considered scientific or not? And then from there, a variety of social, institutional and historical factors will enter and influence not only how scientific knowledge is discovered and developed, but also how we evaluate it. This course is suitable to advanced undergraduates and doctoral students.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
SOC 332:
Sociology of Education (EDUC 310)
Seminar. Key sociological theories and empirical studies of of the relationship between education and other major social institutions, focusing on drivers of educational change, the organizational infrastructures of education, and the implication of education in processes of social stratification. Targeted to doctoral students.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3-5
SOC 339:
Gender Meanings and Processes
Preference for Sociology Doctoral Students. Current theories and research on the social processes, such as socialization, status processes, stereotyping, and cognition, that produce gender difference and inequality. Intersections of gender with race, class, and bodies. Applications to workplaces, schools, families, and intimate relationships. By permission of the instructor.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
SOC 340:
Social Stratification
Classical and contemporary approaches to the unequal distribution of goods, status, and power. Modern analytic models of the effects of social contact, cultural capital, family background, and luck in producing inequality. The role of education in stratification. The causes and consequences of inequality by race and gender. The structure of social classes, status groupings, and prestige hierarchies in various societies. Labor markets and their role in inequality. The implications of inequality for individual lifestyles. The rise of the new class, the underclass, and other emerging forms of stratification. Prerequisite: Ph.D. student or consent of instructor.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 4-5
SOC 340L:
Center on Poverty and Inequality Lab
A workshop devoted to new ways of measuring and monitoring poverty and critiquing and improving ongoing research projects at the Center on Poverty and Inequality. We discuss new inequality-reducing interventions, new ways of measuring and monitoring inequality, and new ways to evaluate inequality-reducing programs.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
10 times
(up to 10 units total)
SOC 341W:
Workshop: Inequality
Causes, consequences, and structure of inequality; how inequality results from and shapes social classes, occupations, professions, and other aspects of the economy. Research presentations by students, faculty, and guest speakers. Discussion of controversies, theories, and recent writings. May be repeated for credit. Restricted to Sociology doctoral students; others by consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 343W:
Gender and Gender Inequality Workshop
This workshop is intended for PhD students whose graduate research is centered on gender and/or gender inequalities. Students will take turns presenting their research and get feedback from other students and faculty
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 344:
Intersectionality: Theory, Methods & Research
In this seminar, we will trace intersectionality from its activist origins outside of academia to its practice in contemporary social science research (and back). We will consider the range of approaches and interpretations that have emerged over the past 30 years, since Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term to critique anti-discrimination litigation, and do so with an eye toward application: how to best incorporate the insights of intersectionality into original social science research, across a variety of topics and methods. Open to all students pursuing graduate degrees in Sociology, as well as PhD students in other disciplines with instructor consent.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
SOC 346A:
Ethnographies of Race, Crime, and Justice (SOC 246A)
This course provides graduate students with a survey introduction to influential ethnographic and interview-based sociological research on race, crime, and justice. Recent social movements such as the Movement for Black Lives have drawn attention to the problem of mass criminalization in the U.S. These movements have underscored the centrality of the criminal legal system in defining race in America. Each week, students will read ethnographic books and journal articles on the role of race and racism in different dimensions of the criminal legal process from policing to court processing to incarceration written in the early twentieth century to the present. In addition to gaining foundational knowledge on the key debates within the sociological and criminological literature, students will also gain important insight into the most rigorous qualitative social science methods for studying these topics, and how these methods have changed over time.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 4-5
SOC 348:
Advanced Topics in the Sociology of Gender
Seminar for graduate students who have research projects in progress that focus on questions about gender and society. Research projects can be at any stage from the initial development to the final writing up of results. Focus is on questions posed by the research projects of the seminar participants. Readings include relevant background to each other's questions and present their own work in progress. A final paper reports the progress on the seminar member's research project. May be repeat for credit. This class is by permission only and is intended for PhD students in sociology or related disciplines who have previously taken SOC 339 or an equivalent PhD level gender class.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2-5
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 349:
Race, Space, and Stratification
Racial and ethnic stratification has been a defining yet shifting feature of U.S. society, and such inequalities shape and are shaped by the ecological structure of places. This course is a survey course for doctoral students covering sociological scholarship at the intersection of racial stratification and urban sociology. The class will include foundational readings and discussions on urban sociological theories, urban decline and suburbanization, segregation, poverty, neighborhood effects, crime and disorder, gentrification, and immigration. The course will also include discussion of new and innovative data sources and methods for research in this area throughout the quarter. Students will develop or continue a research project designed to contribute to scholarship on racial stratification and urban sociology.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 350:
Sociology of Race
In this seminar, we focus our sociological lens on the concept of race itself. We will explore theoretical and conceptual debates about race and ethnicity, the history of counting by race in surveys and official statistics, as well as critiques of how race is operationalized in both quantitative and qualitative studies. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to conduct their own theoretically and methodologically rigorous research that advances knowledge about race and racial inequality. Prerequisite: Sociology graduate student; otherwise, please email instructor for consent to enroll.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 4
SOC 350W:
Workshop: Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Nation
Weekly research workshop with a focus on ongoing research by faculty and graduate student participants, new theory and research, and recent publications. Workshop participants will present their own work, and read and critique the research-in-progress of their peers. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Sociology doctoral student or consent of instructor.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 60 units total)
SOC 351:
Counterfactuals and Causal Inference in the Social Sciences
Questions about causal effects and processes are critical in the social sciences, and range from macro-level concerns such as Does capitalism cause democracy? to micro-level ones such as Does educational attainment increase individual earnings / health /civic participation?. This course trains students in quantitative approaches designed to address causal questions with observational and quasi-experimental data, including propensity score methods, fixed and random effects, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity, among others. The underlying intuition, statistical formulation, and implementation of each approach will be discussed. The course will also examine topics relevant for researches addressing causal questions such as sensitivity analysis, mediation analysis, and integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Prerequisites: Soc 381 and Soc 382 or equivalent. Undergraduate students should request instructor's permission
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3-5
SOC 355:
Theories of Culture, Media, and Institutions (COMM 355B)
This course presents a selection of influential ways of thinking about culture, media, technology, and institutions in contemporary societies. It is organized around different disciplinary and methodological traditions, including symbolic interactionism, Foucault, Bourdieu, feminist theory, neo-institutionalism, the sociology of translation, the e/valuation perspective, and racial capitalism, with a specific focus on how these concepts shed light on the interplay between media, culture, and institutions.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-5
SOC 356:
Strategy and Organizations
Why are some organizations more competitive than others? This is one of the defining questions of the interdisciplinary research field known as strategic management. In this seminar, we will survey the field of strategic management as seen through the lens of organization theory, touching on the four main theoretical approaches that have developed there.nnMost work in strategic management pays little attention to particular theoretical perspectives, and is organized more by the topic - the phenomenon being studied - such as market exit, growth, performance, mergers and acquisitions, innovation, and the like. I have catalogued the research in strategic management both according to theoretical perspective and topic, and that structure is developed in this course. Our goal is to help you to identify theoretical perspectives as you try to understand the strategy field.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
SOC 358:
Sociology of Immigration
Topics vary each quarter but may include: theories and processes of migration and immigrant incorporation; historical and contemporary perspectives on race, ethnicity, and immigration; immigration law and policy; transnationalism; nations and nationalism.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 5
SOC 360:
Doctoral Research Seminar on Technology & Organizations (MS&E 386)
Doctoral Research Seminar on Technology & Organizations
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1-3
SOC 361W:
Workshop: Networks and Organizations (EDUC 361)
For students doing advanced research. Group comments and criticism on dissertation projects at any phase of completion, including data problems, empirical and theoretical challenges, presentation refinement, and job market presentations. Collaboration, debate, and shaping research ideas. Prerequisite: courses in organizational theory or social network analysis.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 364A:
The Laboratory of the Study of American Values (POLISCI 423A)
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment requires permission of the instructors. See the Notes for additional information.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-5
SOC 364B:
The Laboratory of the Study of American Values II (POLISCI 423B)
Designed for graduate students who are writing dissertations about American public opinion. Students participate in all phases of the research process and include questions on nationally representative surveys. Enrollment is limited to members of the Laboratory for the Study of American Values.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 1-5
SOC 365:
Culture and Markets
In this course, we seek to understand economic markets as cultural institutions. Far from natural or inevitable entities, markets are social constructions that rely upon¿and reproduce¿particular shared understandings about how the world is and should be. In this course, we consider the cognitive, expressive, and normative aspects of culture in order to analyze the existence of markets, the forms they take, and the justifications for the effects they have. We begin by exploring the cultural constitution of market goods and actors. How do some, but not other, objects come to be exchanged via the market, and why do companies and consumers look and act the way they do? We then dig deeper into the key cultural forms and processes that enable and constrain economic phenomena. In what ways do classification, quantification, narrative, metaphor, and so on give rise to the market as we experience it, and who has the power to shape the way these processes take hold? Next, we delve into two special cases: money, which some hold to be impervious to social considerations, and cultural objects, which some hold to be impervious to market logic. Both turn out to be much more complicated. In the final part of the course, we explore cultural aspects of organizations and economic policymaking. The course readings are largely empirical research, so we will also critically discuss how sociologists use data and methods to build evidence
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3-5
SOC 368W:
Workshop: China Social Science (POLISCI 448R)
For Ph.D. students in the social sciences and history. Research on contemporary society and politics in the People's Republic of China. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 369:
Social Network Methods (EDUC 316)
Introduction to social network theory, methods, and research applications in sociology. Network concepts of interactionist (balance, cohesion, centrality) and structuralist (structural equivalence, roles, duality) traditions are defined and applied to topics in small groups, social movements, organizations, communities. Students apply these techniques to data on schools and classrooms.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 370A:
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
Restricted to Sociology doctoral students. This course provides an introduction to some of the main themes arising in sociology¿s early theoretical literature. Since the founding of the discipline, sociologists have had an interest in understanding the forces underlying crisis, continuity, and change. These themes continue to shape contemporary empirical and theoretical work within the discipline.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
SOC 372:
Theoretical Analysis and Research Design
Restricted to Sociology Doctoral students only and required for Ph.D. in Sociology. This seminar is designed to deepen students' understanding of the epistemological foundations of social science, the construction and analysis of theories, and the design of empirical research.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-5
SOC 374:
Philanthropy and Civil Society (EDUC 374, POLISCI 334, SUSTAIN 324)
Cross-listed with Law (LAW 7071), Political Science (POLISCI 334) and Sociology (SOC 374). Associated with the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS). Year-long workshop for doctoral students and advanced undergraduates writing senior theses on the nature of civil society or philanthropy. Focus is on pursuit of progressive research and writing contributing to the current scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy. Accomplished in a large part through peer review. Readings include recent scholarship in aforementioned fields. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 3 units.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
6 times
(up to 18 units total)
SOC 375W:
Workshop: Politics, Morality, and Hierarchy
Advanced research workshop with a focus on new theory and research, recent publications, and current research by faculty and graduate student participants. Topics of relevant research include, but are not restricted to, morality, cooperation, solidarity, politics, status, and power. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 376:
Ethnographic and Fieldwork Methods
Instructor Consent Required. This is a quarter-long graduate level seminar and practicum in ethnographic fieldwork methods, providing students with hands-on training in the epistemology, theory, methods, and politics of ethnography. Through weekly readings, assignments, and exercises applied to a field site of their choosing, students will learn the dynamics of gaining access, building rapport, writing field notes, coding, crafting analytic memos, and writing up findings. Class sessions will be spent discussing readings, debriefing research experiences, and analyzing fellow students' field notes. Students should plan to spend at least five hours per week in their chosen field site. Enrollment priority will be given to graduate students.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
SOC 376B:
Ethnographic and Fieldwork Methods
This graduate level seminar is the first of an intensive two-quarter-long course in ethnographic and fieldwork methods. Students will receive hands-on training in the epistemology, theory, methods, and politics of fieldwork. This begins by learning how to critically engage ethnographic and qualitative books and articles. Next, students will become acquainted with field research techniques and issues through a number of class exercises. Students will learn the dynamics of gaining access, building rapport, writing field notes, crafting memos, and executing various modes of analyses. Finally, students will begin conducting their own fieldwork research in a field site of their choosing. Students should plan to spend at least five hours per week in the field, write and submit formal field notes, and craft a final paper that analyzes their fieldwork data. Class session will be divided in two parts. First, students will discuss the readings and topics of the week. The remainder of the class will be devoted to discussing research experiences and/or analyzing fellow students¿ field notes. Students should anticipate producing an article or chapter length research paper by the end of the second quarter of the class.nnPriority given to Graduate students¿
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
SOC 378:
Seminar on Institutional Theory and World Society
Sociological analyses of the rise and impact of the expanded modern world order, with its internationalized organizations and globalized discourse. Consequences for national and local society: education, political organization, economic structure, the environment, and science. The centrality of the individual and the rationalized organization as legitimated actors.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 1-5
SOC 379:
Methods for Network Analysis
In this course, we learn how to collect and analyze social network data. We begin by learning the fundamentals of graph theory and replicating well-known network studies. In the process, we cover classic network methods from centrality to block-modeling. We then move to the frontiers of network analysis. Topics include visualization, modeling and simulation, dynamic network analysis, network experiments, semantic network analysis, and analyzing social networks at scale. Sources and ways of collecting network data will be discussed and students will apply methods they learn to data of their own.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4-5
SOC 380:
Qualitative Methods
Priority to Sociology doctoral students. Emphasis is on observational and interview-based research. Limited enrollment.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3-5
SOC 380W:
Workshop: Qualitative and Fieldwork Methods
Presentations and discussion of ongoing ethnographic, interview-based, and other fieldwork research by faculty and students . May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Sociology doctoral student or consent of instructor.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 381:
Sociological Methodology I: Introduction
Enrollment limited to first-year Sociology doctoral students. Other students by instructor permission only. This course provides a conceptual and applied introduction to quantitative social sciences methodology, including epistemology, measurement, sampling, descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and ordinary least squares regression. Students will be introduced to both the methodological logic and techniques of statistical data analysis, including application in the software Stata. The course will situate quantitative methodology within the broader frame of sociological research. It will present the purpose, goals, and assumptions behind techniques of statistical analysis and will discuss applications to analyzing data and interpreting results. In addition to the lecture time, SOC 381 includes a weekly section for further practice with statistical software and application.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 5
SOC 382:
Sociological Methodology II: Principles of Regression Analysis
Preference to Sociology doctoral students. Other students by instructor permission only. Required for Ph.D. in Sociology. Enrollment limited to first-year Sociology doctoral students. Rigorous treatment of linear regression models, model assumptions, and various remedies for when these assumptions are violated. Introduction to panel data analysis. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisites: 381.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
SOC 383:
Sociological Methodology III: Models for Discrete Outcomes
Required for Ph.D. in Sociology; other students by instructor permission only. enrollment limited to first-year Sociology doctoral students. The rationale for and interpretation of static and dynamic models for the analysis of discrete variables. Prerequisites: 381 and 382, or equivalents.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 5
SOC 384:
Advanced Regression Analysis (EDUC 326)
Social science researchers often deal with complex data and research questions that traditional statistics models like linear regression cannot adequately address. This course offers the opportunity to understand and apply two widely used types of advanced regression analysis that allow the examination of 1) multilevel data structures (multilevel models) and 2) multivariate research questions (structural equation models).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 385A:
Research Practicum 1
Workshop on research methods and writing research papers for second year Sociology doctoral students. Ongoing student research, methodological problems, writing challenges, and possible solutions. Required for second year paper.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2
SOC 385B:
Research Practicum II
Workshop on research methods and writing research papers for second year Sociology doctoral students. Ongoing student research, methodological problems, writing challenges, and possible solutions. Required for second year paper.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
SOC 385C:
Journal Article Writing Seminar
The purpose of this course is to pass along tips and tricks for publishing your work in peer-reviewed academic journals, to ensure you get constructive feedback on your writing (rather than the research), and to practice giving constructive writing feedback to others. It will help you make time to: revise a piece of scholarship for publication, and think about what you are writing, for whom, and why. Enrollment is by permission only. Prerequisite: Sociology graduate student with an unpublished draft of original research, such as a completed qualifying paper. Priority given to PhD students in their 3rd and 4th years.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 1-2
SOC 386:
Meso-Organizational Theory (MS&E 382)
Doctoral research seminar, limited to Ph.D. students. Provides an overview of research on meso-level organizational theory. Topics include classic and contemporary research on work and occupations, sociology of professions and expertise, meso-level theories on roles, jurisdictional conflicts, status, and authority, occupational drivers of technology adoption and implementation in the workplace, and the importance of organizational practices in addressing (or worsening) inequality. The course covers both foundational research as well as more recent empirical scholarship on these topics. Students are expected to use this course to make progress on their research projects/papers.
| Units: 3
SOC 390:
Graduate Individual Study
May be repeated for credit. Appropriate for in-person instruction.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Johfre, S. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Meyersson Milgrom, E. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Pedulla, D. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tsutsui, K. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Young, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI);
reardon, s. (PI)
SOC 391:
Graduate Directed Research
May be repeated for credit. Appropriate for in-person instruction.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Drori, G. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Fields, C. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Pedulla, D. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tsutsui, K. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Young, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI);
reardon, s. (PI)
SOC 392:
Curricular Practical Training
CPT course required for international students completing degree requirements. Appropriate for in-person instruction.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tsutsui, K. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI)
SOC 393:
Teaching Apprenticeship
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 1-15
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 396:
Sociology Colloquium
The Sociology Colloquium is a semimonthly seminar held throughout the academic year, in which distinguished scholars present their cutting-edge research findings. Enrollment for credit, and regular attendance, is required for all first and second year Sociology doctoral students.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 398:
The Social Psychology of Contemporary American Politics (PSYCH 270, SOC 298)
Where do people's political attitudes and behaviors come from, and how can they be changed? Social and psychological factors powerfully influence political views, and research in this area can help to understand our often confusing political landscape. Understanding the causal architecture of political attitudes and behavior is essential for taking effective political action, especially in this time of deep and growing political divides. In this class we will read and discuss cutting-edge research from social psychology, sociology, political science, and beyond on topics such as polarization, persuasion, social activism, inequality, racial prejudice, and populism. Enrollment for SOC 298 is by permission of instructor.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
SOC 802:
TGR Dissertation
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 0
| Repeatable
for credit
Instructors: ;
Asad, A. (PI);
Barr, D. (PI);
Berger, J. (PI);
Clair, M. (PI);
Cook, K. (PI);
Correll, S. (PI);
Dauber, M. (PI);
Diamond, L. (PI);
Drori, G. (PI);
England, P. (PI);
Fields, C. (PI);
Freese, J. (PI);
Granovetter, M. (PI);
Grusky, D. (PI);
Hannan, M. (PI);
Hillmann, H. (PI);
Hoffman, M. (PI);
Hwang, J. (PI);
Jackson, M. (PI);
Jimenez, T. (PI);
Kiviat, B. (PI);
McAdam, D. (PI);
McDermott, M. (PI);
McFarland, D. (PI);
Meyer, J. (PI);
Olzak, S. (PI);
Parigi, P. (PI);
Pedulla, D. (PI);
Powell, W. (PI);
Ramirez, F. (PI);
Ridgeway, C. (PI);
Rosenfeld, M. (PI);
Sandefur, R. (PI);
Saperstein, A. (PI);
Scott, W. (PI);
Shin, G. (PI);
Snipp, C. (PI);
Stuart, F. (PI);
Thornton, P. (PI);
Torche, F. (PI);
Tsutsui, K. (PI);
Tuma, N. (PI);
Walder, A. (PI);
Willer, R. (PI);
Young, C. (PI);
Zhou, X. (PI)
