Introduction to Sociology: The Sociological Imagination In this course, we will study social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior on American society. Specifically, we will examine the ways that individuals interact in social groups, organizations, and the larger society and the ways that the larger society both influences and is influenced by various social actors. Specific topics may range from crime, education, health, the economy, wealth, income, families, religion, race, gender, sexuality, class, among others with the goal of examining how individuals come together to construct society. In addition, we will explore the ways that social inequalities are created and maintained, examining many different perspectives and research techniques that sociologists use to answer some of society’s most important questions.

Society and the Individual This course examines the ideas and enduring contributions of the giants of modern social theory, including Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Sigmund Freud. Readings will include selections from original works, as well as contemporary essays. Key issues will include the nature of modernity, the direction of social change, and the role of human agency in constructing the "good society." This course serves as a general introduction to sociology.

Gender and the Body What is your gender and how do you know? In order to answer this question, we need to consider how gender is known through biology, psychology, consumer capitalism, and our everyday embodiment.  We will also look at how the meaning and performance of gender have changed over time from Classical Greece to Victorian England to the contemporary U.S.  Throughout, we will consider how gender does not operate along, but is always entangled with, race, class, sexuality, nationality, and ability.

Sociology of Labor In this class we will survey the sociological literature on labor and labor movements in America and around the world. We will raise questions related to the organization and transformation of work, the making of class society, trade unionism and other class-based organizing, and the impact of globalization on labor organizations. Exploration of these key themes will happen through an analysis of classic and contemporary texts, as well as fiction and film. This is a seminar-style course with opportunities for students to lead class discussions and debates.

The Family in Contemporary Society This course will investigate the social, economic, and political forces that have brought about changes in family life in the beginning of the 21st century. We will begin by looking at various attempts to define "the family," and we will then explore a range of topics, including the webs of family relationships (e.g., mothering, fathering, kin networks), labor and family intersections (e.g., mediating between work and family; the household division of labor), gay and lesbian family life, and domestic violence. Although the focus will be on contemporary United States, we will also examine some cross-cultural and historical material.

Sociology of Sport In this course we will explore sport-related issues and sport-society issues from a sociological perspective. Through lectures, films, class discussions, and student presentations we will examine the roles of sport within contemporary social systems, and ways in which sport reflects and enhances individual, collective, and national agendas and identities. We will also critically analyze various topics, including violence, cheating, and technology while focusing on “mega sporting events,” the media, and eSport. Additionally, by using sport as a lens to examine class, gender, and race we will illuminate the manners in which sport is entangled in socio-cultural, political, and economic forces.

Theories and Fundamentals of Conflict Transformation In this course, we will explore the interdisciplinary field of Conflict Transformation as both a philosophical orientation and a theoretical framework for understanding conflict as part of the human experience. In exploring conflict transformation, we will move beyond examining conflict as something that should be avoided (conflict prevention) or resolved through various formal and informal processes of negotiation (conflict resolution). Instead, this course will examine the ways that conflict is normal in human relationships, an integral part of human experiences, and can act as a catalyst for social transformation. To do so, we will examine conflict at multiple different levels of human experiences such as interpersonal, national, and international using a broader lens to explore the “bigger picture” of the historical, social, and interpersonal causes of conflict. In doing so, we will come to understand conflict as not something that is always destructive but also productive in creating social change on the personal, interpersonal, local, national, and international level.

Contemporary Israel: Society, Culture and Politics In this course we will examine Israeli society and politics in a period of rapid and profound transformation.  We begin with an introductory unit on Zionism, Palestinian nationalism and the history of the state. Subsequent units examine the social, cultural and political characteristics of Israel’s main population sectors (Middle Eastern, European, Russian and Ethiopian Jews and Palestinian citizens and residents of the state) and religious groupings (Muslims and Jews, including secular, traditional, national-religious and ultra-Orthodox). The final units examine intensifying political struggles that will shape the future of Israel and the region. Topics will include the role of religion in public life; civil rights, democracy and the courts; and West Bank settlements, occupation, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The City and Its People We all live somewhere, and increasingly we find ourselves living in an urban environment. In this course we will explore current topics in urban sociology, with particular emphasis on the power of place, culture, and community in U.S. cities. We will study the historical, cultural, and political conditions that have shaped contemporary U.S. cities, such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. We will examine how cities change and resist change through the lens of such subjects as migration, poverty, urban arts, crime, and education as it pertains to the city. Students will read a variety of ethnographic and sociological materials, in order to gain an understanding of the complexities of both urban life and processes of representation.

Visual Sociology We live in a visual world. To understand society and culture, we must understand the images we produce and consume. This course provides a sociological lens to study how we use and are used by images. We will study key theories that frame how visual contents (such as photographs, films, and videos) are shared, viewed, and interpreted by various audiences. Using images as our starting point, we will analyze the messages and imagery in visual texts to extract their social meanings. We will engage three sides of visual sociology: images as cultural artifacts, picture making as data collection, and displaying research visually. (Sociology)

Inequality and the American Dream In this course we will explore sociological attempts to explain who “gets ahead” in the contemporary United States. We will discuss two distinct issues that are often conflated in public discussions: economic inequality and social mobility.  We will consider the conceptual and empirical associations between these measures, how each has changed over time, how the United States compares to other countries, and how different social environments (such as colleges, neighborhoods, and families) influence life chances within and across generations. We will also examine the challenges of producing research about these topics, focusing on both theoretical and methodological issues.

Social Psychology in Sociology The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between self and society from a sociological perspective. Our initial focus will on the nature of symbols, language, and the social self as theorized by G. H. Mead and early "symbolic interactionists." We will then address the presentation of self through the works of Erving Goffman, and subsequently consider more contemporary concerns, such as emotions, emotional labor, and inequality in social interaction. The second half of the course will address questions of identity and debates surrounding the emergence of "postmodern" selves.

Globalizing Gender In this course we will explore gender and the process of gendering as a complex and evolving global phenomenon of the 21st century. The readings will focus on the politics and experience of gender and sexualities in various parts of the world, including India, Pakistan, Muslim minorities in South Asia, and among diasporic communities in Europe and the United States. Through lectures and small group discussions, we will critique and analyze themes including third gender, masculinity, changing practices of marriage, the politics of sexuality, and the impact of the women’s movement, and gay rights movement on existing understanding of gendered traditions. (National/Transnational Feminisms)

Genders and Sexualities in the US In this course we will explore and examine how genders and sexualities are constructed and the  implications that such constructions have on individuals and societies. We will examine the  theories, concepts, practices, and beliefs about sex, gender, sexuality, and sexual identity and  explore how these concepts are different between different groups and how they have changed  over time, specifically using an intersectional lens. Students will be encouraged to discuss  intricacies of their own sexual and gender identities and how these statuses may impact their  social status and their relationships with others and the larger society.

Men and Masculinities In this course we will consider the creation and performance of masculinities in the American context.  We will ask how masculinity is constructed and how concepts of masculinity intersect with class, race, sexuality, and nation. Topics will include: The construction of idealized notions of masculinity in opposition to both femininities and subordinated masculinities; depictions of masculinity in the media; male socialization and boyhood; the workplace, family life and fatherhood; trans and gender queer masculinities; men’s health; men as perpetrators and victims of violence; and explicitly male-focused social movements and subcultures (such as pro-feminist men; Men’s Rights Activism; Pick-Up artists, Incels).

Sociology of Subcultures Whether based on music and style (punk, emo, hip hop), physical activities (skateboarding, surfing, parkour) or pop culture fandom, networks of (young) people are regularly labelled as subcultures. This course will introduce students to the study of subcultures based on sociological and ethnographic materials. Who participates in subcultures and why? Who is excluded (on the basis of class, race, gender, sexuality)? Are subcultures forms of resistance, and what distinguishes them from social movements? How do forces such as globalization, technological development, and political transformation impact subcultures? These questions will guide our introductory look at examples and theories of subcultures.

Sociology of Modern Antisemitism In this course, we will explore modern antisemitism from a sociological perspective. Drawing on theories and empirical research from sociology and related fields, we will analyze the logic of antisemitic narratives, how antisemitism differs from other forms of racism, how antisemitism has changed after the Holocaust, whether antisemitism and anti-Zionism are related phenomena, and how prevalent antisemitic attitudes and discrimination remain today. We will also explore what role antisemitism plays in contemporary conspiracy theories and far-right movements but also whether there are forms of antisemitism specific to the Left. Overall, we will consider how to integrate an analysis of antisemitism into contemporary theories of racism, such as Intersectionality or Critical Whiteness.

Deviance and Social Control  This course will introduce students to sociological perspectives on the nature, causes and control of deviant behavior and populations. We will consider, historically and theoretically, the construction of deviance, the social purpose it serves, and the societal response deviance engenders. We will pay special attention to the ways in which the deviant body is constructed and managed through a variety of frameworks – including medical, punitive and therapeutic - and reflect critically on the social and political ramifications of the categorizations “deviant” and “normal”.

The Logic of Sociological Inquiry In this course students will be introduced to the basic tools of sociological research including problem formulation, strategies of design and data collection, and analysis and presentation of results. This class will help students formulate a research question and develop a research strategy to best explore that question. Those strategies may include interviews, structured observation, participant observation, content analysis, and surveys. This class, strongly recommended for juniors, will culminate in the submission of a senior project proposal. (SOAN 0105 or SOCI 0105)

American Jewish Life In this course we will explore American Jewish life during a period of rapid change. We will begin with a survey of American Jews’ 20th century ethnic, racial, and religious identities. We will then focus on scenes of contemporary religious and communal innovation across a wide spectrum of American Jewish life, including case studies of Hasidic, Queer/progressive, Orthodox and Reform Jews, and Jews of Color. Throughout, we will examine how diverse Jewish collectivities incorporate broader American and global ideas, creating new amalgamations and contributing to social change. In the final unit, we will explore contentious issues related to Israel, antisemitism, gender, and American politics. Sources will include books, articles, films, and a study tour in New York City.

Social Theory This course provides an overview of major lines of development in 20th century social theory relevant to the field of sociology, focusing on how various theorists have grappled with the basic issues that have dominated 20th century social thought. Particular attention will be given to the questions arising from the conceptual distinctions between structure and action, on the one hand, and identity and culture, on the other. How is social order possible? How autonomous are human agents? How do we explain the persistence of observed patterns of human interaction and social practice? How do we analyze relations between the world of everyday life and the large-scale development of social systems? How does social change take place? (SOCI 0105)

Social Movements and Collective Action An analysis of the range of factors which influence the emergence and development of social protest, social movements, rebellion, and revolution. Topics to be considered include: the generation and mobilization of discontent; recruitment and participation; member commitment; tactics and strategy; revolutionary situations and outcomes; collective violence; and the factors that influence the success and failure of movement organizations and collective action in general. Emphasis will be placed on critically analyzing alternative approaches and theories of social movements and collective action (i.e., self-interest/deprivation, participation gratification, traditional collective behavior and resource mobilization). Empirical studies will be used throughout the course. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement.

White People White people did not just appear out of nowhere. Instead, they are the result of a long history of structural and everyday racism that was always intertwined with class, sex, sexuality, and nation. We will explore how whiteness became a foundational category for citizenship in the US, especially after the Civil War when the Color Line was drawn through the legal, cultural, and spatial practices of Jim Crow. We will consider how "new immigrants" and even white "trash" became white primarily through the exclusion of Black Americans. Finally, we will look at the formation of whiteness today as a site of privilege, aggrieved entitlement, and violence.

Sociology of Heterosexuality Most people believe that heterosexuality is natural or rooted in biology and so never look very closely at it as a product of culture.  In this course we will examine the artifacts, institutions, rituals, and ideologies that construct heterosexuality and the heterosexual person in American culture.  We will also pay close attention to how heterosexuality works alongside other forms of social power, especially gender, race, and class.

Writing the Sociological Imagination In this writing course, students will create flash non-fiction that engages with sociology’s core focus: placing the personal in its social context. We will read texts that explore a variety of approaches to creatively explore the interplay of biography and history and focus on the range of craft elements these authors use. Students will write short (300-800 word) pieces that we will workshop together in class. The final product will be a portfolio of revised pieces from which students will select 2-3 pieces to share, if they choose, in a public reading for the Middlebury community.

Theories of Celebrity In this course we will explore the cultural significance of the concept "celebrity" from a variety of theoretical perspectives. We will draw from a range of examples, including the history of Hollywood, the branding of sport stars, the rise of reality television, YouTube fame, and celebrity gossip, to examine the structures of power and inequality the celebrity phenomenon and its commodification embody. We will use theoretical concepts such as hegemony, the spectacle, mechanical reproduction, the panopticon, hyperreality, microcelebrity, postmodernity, and neoliberalism to analyze the extraordinary rise of a visual culture based on the production and consumption of celebrity. (SOCI 0105 or SOCI 0288)

The Idea of Drugs and Addiction Drugs cause panic and social hysteria.  We spend time talking about them and expend energy distinguishing between good and bad drugs and users.  Movies, documentaries, literature, art, and television shows reflect this preoccupation with the use and misuse of drugs. In this course we will  investigate the social significance of “drugs” as a cultural, rather than pharmacological, category. We will consider drugs and addiction as ideas that reflect concerns about the “self” in modernity. We will examine the panic surrounding drug use and addiction, our preoccupation with treatment, and our emphasis on sobriety.  Overall, we will engage with the larger themes the idea of drugs and addiction raises: harm, exclusion, inequality, pleasure, freedom, desire, perfection, enlightenment, and control. 3hrs. lect./disc.

Higher Education and Society Concerns about quality, value, and cost have raised doubts about whether higher education remains a pathway to opportunity. In this course we will consider these issues by reviewing research on the changing demographics of students, the evolving definition of “merit” in admissions, the challenges of assessing what students learn, and the relationship between student loan debt and economic inequality. We will also examine how college shapes later outcomes such as income, health, and family formation. Finally, we will discuss efforts to reform higher education and the potential for innovations like global expansion to reshape postsecondary schooling in the future. 3 hrs.lct.

The Long Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most significant political forces in American history, but too often we reduce it to its heyday in the 1950s and 60s. In this course we engage a much longer, more varied history of African American freedom struggles, from protests against segregated trains in the late 19th century to today’s #BlackLivesMatter. We use social movement theory to explore these cases, and use the cases to develop new theories of politics and social structure, paying close attention to the roles of organizations, resources, leadership, recruitment, commitment, values, ideology, culture, gender, and counter-movements.

The Continuing Significance of Race in the United States This course will introduce students to theories of race and racism in the United States, how racial categories are formed and maintained in a variety of social arenas, and how race and racism influence social systems. In order to demonstrate the prevalence of race and racism in the U.S., the course will be a “topics” course in that each week, we will explore a different topic (such as education, crime, gender) and examine how they are influenced by race and racism. In addition, the course will compare and contrast the experiences of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States and examine how these different experiences influences the way they are seen, how they see themselves, and how they interact with other groups. Upon completion of the course, students will have a better understanding of the historic and contemporary significance of race and how race influences our everyday interactions in multiple different social arenas.

Digital Sociology We live in a digital world. We surf. We tweet. We swipe left. We create data. We become data. In this course we will consider how we use and are used by digital technologies. Digital spaces are neither neutral nor separate; they reflect and recreate the “real world.” We will critically examine today’s technologies and practices using central concepts in sociological theory, namely identity, inequality, and power. We will focus on four main topics: social media and productive labor; surveillance and privacy; stratification in access, use, and experience across race, class, gender, and sexuality; and online political organizing.

Politics of Identity In this course we will introduce students to social diversity in the U.S. as it is reflected in four master identities: class, gender, race, and sexuality. We will examine what these identities mean for group membership, how group membership is attained or ascribed and maintained. Using both historical and contemporary materials, we will explore how identities have developed over time and how they have been challenged. In addition, we will examine how multiple identities intersect and the implications of these intersections have on individual identities.

Social Statistics In this course we will learn the practical tools social sociologists and other scientists use to analyze data quantitatively. Topics will emphasize applications with statistical software and data from the General Social Survey and other datasets. We will explore methods to describe statistics about samples, apply the principles of probability to make predictions about populations, and estimate the significance of those predictions through inference and hypothesis testing. We will conclude with an introduction to linear regression. (Open only to majors or by Instructor Approval)

Sex and Society In this seminar we will explore the pleasures, power, and problems of sex and will place sexuality in dynamic interaction with larger social issues. It is impossible to understand sexuality as separate from other dimensions of the human condition such as economics, politics, work, family, race, and gender.  In particular, we will examine questions related to the science of sex, morality, monogamy, sex work, power and domination, desire and fantasy, and sexual politics. Overall, students will gain an understanding of sexuality as a social phenomenon.

Sociology of the Pandemic In this seminar students will conduct original sociological research on the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also examine the ways that sociological theory and other materials—films, news reports, journalism, social media, etc—can help us understand the disruptive social, political, economic, and cultural changes brought on by the current crisis. Students will pursue their own projects or work in groups, and will work collectively as a class to help each other examine the sociological dimensions of the pandemic. Topics might include the impacts on labor and work issues, family dynamics, inequality, education, and the intersections with race, class, and gender.

Stuff: A Sociology of Things Stuff surrounds us. It fills our lives and makes our lives more fulfilling. We make it, we break it. We love it, we hate it. Then we throw it away. But stuff can just as easily make us and break us. Yet, sociology rarely pays much attention to things. In this course we will uncover and study the surprisingly active social lives of objects. Drawing broadly from work on material culture, cultural studies, consumption studies, and critical theory, we will explore the complex meanings of objects, the relationships people form with them, and the ways they shape how we think and what we do. Students will learn object-based research methods to investigate the social meanings and uses of everyday objects.

Documentary Sociology In this course we will consider how documentaries can bring the “sociological imagination” to life by using video and audio to link individual troubles with social issues and personal biography with historical context. Through readings and viewings, we will spend the first third of the class discussing the potential of the short documentary form to illustrate sociological concepts. Students will develop a proposal for their own short video documentary that they will then work on throughout the semester. Students must be willing to spend significant time outside of class on their documentary and to provide constructive feedback on each other’s developing projects in class. No prior experience or coursework in video or audio production is required. (SOCI 0105; open to SOCI majors or by instructor approval) (formerly SOCI 0364).

Sociology of Subcultures Whether based on music and style (punk, emo, hip hop), physical activities (skateboarding, surfing, parkour) or pop culture fandom, networks of (young) people regularly are labelled as subcultures. In this course, we will examine subcultures based on sociological and ethnographic materials. We will discuss who participates in subcultures and who is excluded (on the basis of class, race, gender, sexuality); whether subcultures are inherently resistant and what distinguishes them from social movements; and whether the concept of subculture holds up under contemporary processes of globalization, digitalization and post-modernization or in geographic settings beyond urban centers.

Topics in Sociological Practice In this project-based course, we will use tools of data analysis and digital methods to explore sociological research topics and communicate findings. We will review examples of public social science such as the Opportunity Atlas, Social Explorer, and the Open Policing Project. Through readings and workshops, we will reflect on how these forms create challenges and opportunities related to data ethics, principles of data visualization, and digital pedagogy. Students will build on their previous coursework to develop interactive websites that can be integrated throughout the department's curricula. Students will extensively use programs such as R and Datawrapper but no previous experience with these tools is required. (Open to Sociology majors)

Global Gays and the Global Gayze In this course we will explore the ways that non-straight sexualities have been understood within a global context. Specifically, we will examine the various ways that non-straight sexualities have been constructed around the globe, the factors that have led to the development of various forms of sexual identifications, as well as the linkages between different cultures, nations, and locations that have influenced the ways that societal beliefs about non-straight sexualities, as well as non-straight sexual “identities,” have come to be influenced through such connections.

Race and Racism in Vermont: A Sociohistorical Exploration In this course, we will trace the racial history of Vermont from its founding, through the eugenics movement in the early 20th century, and into the current era of racially-biased policing and incarceration. Drawing on Black and Indigenous scholars (DuBois, Wynter, Byrd), students will examine the articulation between local/global manifestation of race, and investigate how anti-indigeneity, anti-blackness and ableism guided the sociohistorical construction of whiteness in Vermont. Students will grapple with pressing questions: How was/is ‘race’ mobilized by the State? Are racially biased policing/incarceration an afterlife of policies of erasure? This class will culminate in a critical engagement with ways reparation and reconciliation may or may not prevent deep-rooted structures from continuing to reproduce discriminations in Vermont.  Mabrouka M’Barek is a PhD student in sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research, in North America, Europe and North Africa focuses on the longue durée of racial regimes and the long-lasting impacts of colonialism and chattel slavery./

Introduction to Critical Data Studies A data-driven economy is based on the production, sharing and reuse of trustworthy datasets. The processes to generate, share and reuse data are subject to organizational, political, institutional, and economic forces. Data are never raw, they are cooked. In this course, students will examine how data are generated within organizational contexts and made portable through a social scientific and humanistic lens. Through a combination of reading, writing, and discussing peer reviewed research, students will learn about the social aspects of data. Each week students will learn and discuss concepts such as organizational forms for data, data cultures; information infrastructure. Students produce a research project that focuses on compiling a biography of a dataset.   Sarika Sharma is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas-Austin in the Critical Data Studies Lab. Her work examines emerging information policy and its impact on the preservation, storage and reuse of information./

Data Science Across Disciplines In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Sociology, Neuroscience, Animation, Art History, or Environmental Science. This course will utilize the R programming language. No prior experience with R is necessary. ENVS: Students will engage in research within environmental health science—the study of reciprocal relationships between human health and the environment. High-quality data and the skills to make sense of these data are key to studying environmental health across diverse spatial scales, from individual cells through human populations. In this course, we will explore common types of data and analytical tools used to answer environmental health questions and inform policy. FMMC: Students will explore how to make a series of consequential decisions about how to present data and how to make it clear, impactful, emotional or compelling. In this hands-on course we will use a wide range of new and old art making materials to craft artistic visual representations of data that educate, entertain, and persuade an audience with the fundamentals of data science as our starting point. NSCI/MATH: Students will use the tools of data science to explore quantitative approaches to understanding and visualizing neural data. The types of neural data that we will study consists of electrical activity (voltage and/or spike trains) measured from individual neurons and can be used to understand how neurons respond to and process different stimuli (e.g., visual or auditory cues). Specifically, we will use this neural data from several regions of the brain to make predictions about neuron connectivity and information flow within and across brain regions. SOCI: Students will use the tools of data science to examine how experiences in college are associated with social and economic mobility after college.  Participants will combine sources of "big data" with survey research to produce visualizations and exploratory analyses that consider the importance of higher education for shaping life chances.  HARC: Students will use the tools of data science to create interactive visualizations of the Dutch textile trade in the early eighteenth century. These visualizations will enable users to make connections between global trade patterns and representations of textiles in paintings, prints, and drawings.

Adi Livny

Alex Lyford

Chong Han

Hemangini Gupta

Jamie McCallum

Laurie Essig

Linus Owens

Mabrouka M'barek

Markus Gerke

Matt Lawrence

Maya Bhave

Rebecca Tiger

Sarika Sharma

Ted Sasson

Zohar Gazit

Read 100 reviews for Sociology courses at Middlebury College. Find the best Sociology professors and courses.  Discover your new major today!

Wow. This course was of low value. Although Jamie maybe passionate about the topic he is incredibly disorganized and often goes on random tangents. Lectures are not useful and usually just repeats the readings. Exams are all over the place and the syllabus is constantly changing whenever he gets a thought of change. If you are an Econ bro looking for an easy A Jamie is your guy. I warn all MIDD students this class is not worth your tuition. Unfortunately I learned nothing :(. I don’t say this to tarnish Jamie’s reputation but to be honest so future students know what they are getting themselves into. 

Matt is the literal goat. I love him, and quite frankly, I believe that this class is only possible because of him. Without him, there would be no research methods. The class itself was chill at the beginning, but don’t let that deceive you because there’s a lot of work that goes into this class. So pace yourself or you’ll have a miserable last three weeks. Office hour is king. Matt is always happy to help and his insights are so invaluable!!! 

It was a great introductory course. It touched upon several topics that I found quite interesting. The professor was also entertaining and did not assign much work for us to do. He was very laid back and we learned a lot from the class. 