Sociology emerged as part of the intellectual response to the French and Industrial Revolutions. In various ways, the classic sociological thinkers sought to make sense of these changes and the kind of society that resulted from them. We shall begin by examining the social and intellectual context in which sociology developed and then turn to a close reading of the works of five important social thinkers: Marx, Tocqueville, Weber, Durkheim, and DuBois.
(Offered as SOCI-306 and ENST-306) How and why do pandemics emerge? How have pandemics been shaped by social and ecological conditions around the world? And how do pandemics in turn transform society and our environment? This is a research-oriented interdisciplinary seminar examining how epidemic infectious diseases are not naturally given but socially and environmentally constructed.
How do sociologists define, model, and visualize social phenomena using quantitative tools and statistical software? This seminar will provide a technical, theoretical and practical overview. During the semester, students will learn how to use R and Python to clean, analyze and visualize data that are suitable for sociological analysis.
What is “development”? What makes some places more or less “developed”? Does the process of development unfold simply as a steady “march of progress” and modernization, or also as a contested historical process of social change? This course is an introduction to development sociology and the interdisciplinary field of development studies. We will study the history and major theories of development and globalization and examine some of the most pressing contemporary issues of health, sustainability, and social justice.
Open to, and required of, seniors writing a thesis.
Spring semester. The Department.
How to handle overenrollment: null
A full-course designed for advanced students of Russian seeking to continue to develop their fluency, pronunciation, oral comprehension, and writing skills. Major attention will be given to reading, discussion, and interpretation of modern and contemporary literature in Russian, with authors changing from year to year. Material can also be drawn from journalism and politics, as well as modern and contemporary cinema. The class is taught entirely in Russian. Two class meetings per week.
Offered Spring 2025. Visiting Assistant Professor Mayofis.
(Offered as RUSS 345 and FAMS 357) This course focuses on Sergei Eisenstein (1989-1948), whose seminal works in the history and theory of cinema are the subject of our sustained examination.
This course examines the relationship between Russian literature and concepts of law and justice. Russian writers engaged deeply with legal and moral dilemmas, often motivated by a historically rooted distrust of state institutions and the judicial system. Through close reading of novels, short stories, poems, plays, and non-fiction, we will explore how authors critically assessed the implementation of law across various spheres of Russian life.
A half course designed for intermediate-level students who wish to develop their fluency, pronunciation, oral comprehension, and writing skills. We will study and discuss Russian films of various genres. Two hours per week.
Requisite: RUSS 301 or consent of the instructor. Offered Spring Semester. Senior Lecturer Babyonyshev.
How to handle overenrollment: null
Continuation of RUSS 201.
Requisite: RUSS 201 or equivalent. Limited to 12 students. Spring semester. Professor Ciepiela.
How to handle overenrollment: Amherst students have priority, then 5-college students.
