79. Upper Division Special Topics Courses
79.04 Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in Society
(course syllabus)
Not currently offered
Licit and illicit drugs make illuminating case studies for our economic and political systems. We explore the following questions: Are profit motives and humanitarian concerns in irresolvable conflict? Does the international network of illegal drugs show the future of globalization? Does pharmaceutical lobbying demonstrate the anti-democratic influence of money? Is the "war on drugs" political demagoguery or a rational response to human weakness? We will use readings, research papers and discussions to explore these questions.
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79.05 Black Middle Class
Not currently offered
This course critically explores the idea as well as the experiences of "the Black middle class." We will consider the theoretical insights of DuBois' "talented tenth," Cooper 's gendered "race consciousness," Frazier's "black bourgeoisie," and dominant approaches to stratification (Weber, Bourdieu).Contemporary sociological studies, plus memoirs and biographies, will enrich our analyses of their economic participation and homeownership, family and social life, politics and activism, ethnic and class conflicts, and the persistent impacts of racism. King.
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79.06 Sociology of the Body
(course syllabus)
Not currently offered
Can social life exist without bodies? How can attention to the body influence our understanding of social processes of subjectivity, interaction, and practice? This seminar provides an overview of sociological approaches to the body across the study of gender, race, class, (dis)ability, sport, medicine, technology, and more. Students will complete a course-long research project in which they analyze the impact and meanings of bodies in a particular social or media context. Dist: SOC.
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79.08 Lest We Forget: History, Collective Memory and Slavery at Dartmouth
(course syllabus)
Beyond noting that Wheelock owned slaves, little is known of Dartmouth's other historical connections, if any, to the institution of slavery. This research seminar investigates the college's economic entanglement in the trade and slaveholding; as a site for the intellectual legitimation and contestation of slavery; and the contributions of enslaved persons to its development. We will also review the origins, findings and responses to similar collective memory projects at other institutions including Brown, Emory and Yale. Prerequisite: Any sociology course or permission of the instructor. King.
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79.09 Global Inequality Protests
(course syallabus)
Three years after the 2008 financial crisis a protest movement sparked in Tunisia, and expanded by contagion to Egypt, Morocco and India, and from there to Spain, Chile, Israel, and finally arrived to Wall Street, giving the name to the global movement as the Occupy social movement. These cases largely differ from one another, but have in common their opposition to inequality and readiness to struggle against it. The course will focus on the comparison of protest movements and the political processes each case provoked, using theories of social movements and political sociology, and analyzing the economic, social and political context before the protests sparked and the after movements' peaks. We will analyze and discuss in class the Occupy Wall Street movement and the political process it provoked in the US. Each student will chose an international case for comparison, presenting it in class and writing a research paper of their own as a final essay. Students will work in teams of two for their presentations and final research paper. Dist: INT; WCult: NW. Grinberg.
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79.11 Nationalism and the Radical Right
(course syllabus)
This course will introduce you to recent social science contributions to the subject of neo-nationalism and radical right-wing activism. Beginning with terminology, historical context and methodological approaches, we will proceed to an analysis of recent socio-political developments, focusing on the interrelationship between radical right-wing activism and other social phenomena. We will interrogate the reasons behind the appeal of the far right, inquiring into various socio-economic contexts, the role of historical narratives in shaping far-right activism, and the "mainstreaming" of far-right ideas. An overarching question for all these discussions will be that of the agency and motivations of the actors involved.
We will draw cases from numerous contexts around the world and will reflect on similar developments on the political left. The course will allow for discussion of the most recent developments, as experienced by class attendees and reported by mass media. Finally, we will discuss ethical aspects of studying right-wing (and, for that matter, any political) radicalism.
79.12 Neighbors and Health (NEW WINTER 2021)
(course syllabus)
Just as conditions within our homes have important implications for our health, conditions in the neighborhoods surrounding our homes also can have major health effects. Social, economic, and environmental features of neighborhoods have been linked with mortality, general health status, disability, birth outcomes, chronic conditions, obesity, depression, injuries, violence, health behaviors and more. In this course, we consider whether and how the characteristics of neighborhoods shape the physical and mental health of individuals, and how neighborhoods contribute to persistent health disparities. Special attention will be devoted to conceptual and methodological challenges to detecting the prevalence and magnitude of 'neighborhood effects' on health. Sharp.
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