Performance study - individual instruction.

This is a course on the social construction of social problems. It devotes almost exclusive attention to how a 'problem' becomes a social problem; examining how atypical cases become regarded as typical; how definitions are expanded to inflate statistics; and how claim makers and advocacy groups manipulate the media to market social problems and solutions to the public.

This course is an introduction to the use of quantitative data in sociology. The focus of the course is understanding how researchers use such data to make sociological arguments. To appreciate this, it is necessary to not only study how it is done, but also to do some of it. For this reason, students will be asked to analyze data for both weekly assignments and a final paper. The aim of the course is to show how to understand the uses of different types of survey data, and to create and analyze simple statistics and multivariate statistics using statistical software.

Performance study - individual instruction.

The educational system is intended to ensure that all children have an equal chance of success, but often falls short of this goal. In this course, we will ask two fundamental questions: First, what is the function of the educational system in contemporary society? Second, what individual, group, or institutional characteristics make educational success more or less likely? In answering these two questions, we will develop a sociological understanding of education in America.

This course uses a sociological framework to examine the nature and structure of modern industrial societies. To identify central trends in society and culture, this course covers several basic themes, such as social inequality and social interaction, that have appeared repeatedly in the works of major social thinkers.

This course uses a sociological framework to examine the nature and structure of modern industrial societies. To identify central trends in society and culture, this course covers several basic themes, such as social inequality and social interaction, that have appeared repeatedly in the works of major social thinkers.

This course uses a sociological framework to examine the nature and structure of modern industrial societies. To identify central trends in society and culture, this course covers several basic themes, such as social inequality and social interaction, that have appeared repeatedly in the works of major social thinkers.

Performance study - individual instruction.