# Teaching **Fall 2025** 1000: Introduction to Sociology What is society? What is the role of the individual in society? How does the way society is organized affect the behaviors and beliefs of people who live in it? How can we change our societies? This course introduces students to the field of sociology. By surveying social theory as well as empirical studies, students acquire what C. Wright Mills calls the "sociological imagination": the ability to think beyond our personal lives and to connect the experiences of individuals with large social structures. Readings include prominent empirical investigations into family dynamics, racial identity, class inequalities, gender roles, organizations, religions, the nation-state, capitalism, democracy, and globalization. We examine common-sense assumptions about culture, politics, history, and psychology, and empower students to replace them with evidence-based reasoning. By emphasizing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, this course helps students build the foundation for a deeper understanding of theory and methods in the social sciences. **Spring 2026** 1023: Political Sociology 1186: Refugees: Forced Migration in Global Perspective [### Soci 1000: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY ](/classes/soci-1000-introduction-sociology)**Semester:** Fall **Offered:** 2022 What is society? What is the role of the individual in society? How does the way society is organized affect the behaviors and beliefs of people who live in it? How can we change our societies? This course introduces students to... [### SOCI E-143: Refugees: Forced Migration in Global Perspective ](/classes/soc-186-refugees-global-perspective)**Semester:** Fall **Offered:** 2022 Who is a refugee? Where do they come from, and why? How are they displaced? What are we going to do when massive refugee waves become “the new normal”? This course will inquire into the nature, causes and consequences of... [### Organized Crime: Mafias in Theory, in Film, and in Reality ](/classes/organized-crime-mafias-theory-film-and-reality)**Semester:** Fall **Offered:** 2020 This course explores organized crime as interrelated social phenomena. Students read sociologists, historians, and other social scientists addressing the nature, causes and consequences of mafias in different national and... [### SOC 1133: War, Revolution and Organized Crime ](/classes/war-revolution-and-organized-crime)**Semester:** Fall **Offered:** 2020 This course explores war, revolution and organized crime as interrelated social phenomena. Students will read sociologists, historians, political scientists and philosophers addressing the nature, causes and consequences of... [### SOC S-11: Introduction to Sociology ](/classes/soc-s-11-introduction-sociology)**Semester:** Summer **Offered:** 2020 What is society? How can we understand it? What is the role of the individual in society, and how does society affect individual lives? This course introduces students to the field of sociology. By surveying social theory as... [### SOC 98ME - Sports and Violence ](/classes/soc-98me-sports-and-violence) Semester: Fall Offered: 2019 How are sports and violence related? What role does sports play in especially-violent communities and societies? How come athletes are so often connected to violent behavior? Why are some sports more violent than others... [### SOC 23: Introduction to Political Sociology ](/classes/soc-23-introduction-political-sociology)**Semester:** Spring **Offered:** 2019 Politics is about power and authority. But the production, conservation and distribution of power and authority occur far beyond Capitol Hill: in family dynamics, neighborhood residential patterns, racial discrimination... [### SOC 157 Qualitative Methods in Sociology ](/classes/soc-157-qualitative-methods-sociology)**Semester:** Spring **Offered:** 2018 This seminar offers an in-depth overview of qualitative research methods in sociology. We will focus on three methods: interviews, ethnography and content analysis/archival. Through a series of hands-on, applied exercises and... [### SOC 98mc: Protest and the State ](/classes/soc-98mc-protest-and-state)**Semester:** Spring **Offered:** 2016 Social movement protests challenging state policy, legitimacy and leadership have become a central feature of American political life. This tutorial explores major protest episodes in the United States, emphasizing historical...