Department of Sociology

Graduate Program

 

Race and Ethnicity in a US and Global Context: Undergraduate courses

Various conflicts defined as ‘ethnic’ have been central to modern Middle Eastern political and social dynamics. This course aims to develop a theoretical and socio-historical understanding of these conflicts. We will discuss several theoretical perspectives on the emergence of ethnic identification and ethnic conflicts. Special attention will be given to clarifying how terms such as ‘nationalism’, ‘ethnic groups’, and ‘modernity’ relate one to the other, and what are the implications of the colonial context on the emergence and endurance of ethnic conflicts. These themes will be learned through case studies in Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and Israel/Palestine.

 

Introduction to Latin American Society (LAS 2001, Charles Wood)

Readings, lectures, films, and slides provide a lively introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean. Students achieve a general understanding of the region through analyses of selected topics, such as the Iberian Conquest, the structure of colonial society, and the rise of African slavery. More recent issues include the Mexican and Cuban revolutions, the environmental destruction of the Brazilian Amazon, the drug war in Colombia, and illegal immigration to the U.S. These topics are interpreted in a global context, and are analyzed with reference to leading theories in the field. Students gain an appreciation of Latin America’s distinct cultural, economic, and political features, as well as an understanding of the major concepts and debates in the social sciences.

 

Israeli Society (SY4930/JST3930, Tamir Sorek)

The course introduces students to major themes in dynamics of contemporary Israeli society. It juxtaposes the different subjective points of view and motivations of the various actors involved and focuses on the following: the tension between the definition of Israel as a Jewish state and democratic aspirations, the place of religion in defining national identity and in politics, the effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fragile status of the Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel, intra-Jewish ethnic divides, gender identities, struggles over collective memory, and the implication of globalization on Israeli society and culture. The course does not require any previous knowledge about Israel.

 

Minorities in American Society (SYD 3700, Milagros Peña)

The 2000 U.S. census confirmed previous projections for the 21^st Century that the United States would be and is more ethnically and racially diverse than ever before.  Will this bring about more ethnic/racial conflict? What may the new millennium be like for minorities in the U.S.?  And how can we learn to live with diversity? What is the history of racial and ethnic relations in the United States?  This course is designed to look at the social construction of race and ethnicity, the history of racial, ethnic, class and gender relations in the United States with a focus on topics relating to power and dominance in the United States.  In this class we will analyze the socioeconomic conditions that have impacted and continue to impact minority groups by exploring some of the origins of racial/ethnic/class conflict in the United States.  In taking this approach, we will analyze the basis of group hate toward minority groups and the social conditions that favor and hinder acceptance of groups defined as outsiders versus insiders.  We will also take into account gender and class issues, particularly as they relate to ethnic-race relations in the United States.  Along with the text, a reader, and a novel to be read and discussed in class, we will look at films that further explore these issues.

 

Nationalism and Ethnicity in Europe (SYA 4930, Alin Ceobanu)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a comparative understanding of the role played by nationalism and ethnic identity in Europe. The first objective of this class is to introduce students to the variety of approaches and perspectives that explain nationalism and ethnicity. The second objective is to analyze some of the most important cases of national identity and ethnic conflict in contemporary Europe, both West and East. We will look at several important theoretical problems (for example, the modernity of nationalism/national identity as a factor in state formation and dissolution/secession; ethnic politics and conflict management; the post-1989 national contexts and the enlargement of the European Union further East; citizenship issues and the challenges of large-scale migration) and case studies (e.g., Catalonian nationalism; Muslim minorities in Europe; the dismemberment of communist ethno-federations and the process of identity formation for the successor states; inter-ethnic tension in multi-national states; Roma – a trans-national European people without a country). By the end of this class, students will be able to: (a) identify the main themes in the literature of nationalism and ethnicity; (b) make the connection between theoretical debates and recent problems of national/ethnic identity in Europe; and (c), distinguish among the varieties of nationalism and ethnic politics in contemporary European states and their role in carving out an identity.

 

Population (SYD 4020, Barbara Zsembik)

The number of humans on this globe is expected to reach around 9 billion by 2050.  Most of the human population growth will occur in the less industrialized nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.  The global community and individual nations must confront the challenges of protecting the earth while humanely meeting the needs of an ever-larger human population.  Global and national population “problems” center on tensions among ethnoracial groups, between the young and old, and between the “haves” and “have-nots.” 

This course uses an INTERNATIONAL perspective to study historical and current global growth patterns and their implications for resource conservation, food production and economic development.  We cover the following topics: population growth, migration, fertility, mortality, age-sex composition, and population problems and policies.  

 

Social Inequality  (SYO 4530, Regina Bures)

Is inequality unavoidable? Is inequality increasing or decreasing? Why do people feel differently about different forms of inequality? In this course we examine the major forms of social inequality, sociological explanations of inequality, consequences of inequality, and class inequality in the United States. The objectives of this course are to:

·  Demonstrate what sociologists mean by “social stratification” and the multiple dimensions in which this occurs (race, class, gender, and sexuality).

·  Introduce the theories and concepts that sociologists use to describe and analyze social inequality.

·  Encourage the application of sociological theories and concepts to contemporary social issues related to inequality.

·  Increase awareness of social inequalities in everyday life.

 

Sports is popularly considered as a sphere separate from 'important' aspects of social and political dynamics. Sociological and anthropological studied have proven the opposite: both active and passive involvements in competitive sports take part in shaping and undermining collective identities, in political mobilization around these identities, as well as in social and political conflicts. This course follows the processes through which national, racial, ethnic, civic, religious, local and gender identities are constructed by sports. Special emphasis is given to the significance of sports as a political battleground for the production of meanings in ethno-national conflicts and colonial contexts. The theoretical themes are illustrated through various particular case studies around the globe, including the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East.  

 

 

U.S. Population Issues (SYD 4021 Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox)

This course is designed to introduce students to major issues related to population size and growth, population processes, and composition in the United States. The course covers both historical and contemporary issues. It also introduces some basic measures and data sources used to study populations.

Objectives:

   1. Develop an understanding of the basic concepts that are used to describe and study populations. We will focus on the three major demographic processes that shape population growth and composition – mortality, fertility, and migration.

   2. Review the historical background for understanding population issues, particularly the dramatic growth and diversity of the U.S. population and the forces that have shaped it.

   3. Develop an understanding of how populations are measured, including the U.S. Census and vital statistics, and how to access and interpret these numbers.

   4. Use and interpret basic demographic measures, including the balancing equation, growth rates and compounded growth, population pyramids, and measures of mortality, fertility, and migration.

   5. Develop an awareness of contemporary social issues and make connections between historical population processes, social consequences, and policy implications.