This course investigates economic development and globalization through a sociological lens. What is development? Why and how has the idea of development changed over time? Which development policies has this promoted, and with what consequences on people's lives in developing countries? Based on case studies across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, the course examines economic, political, and institutional factors that inform global development processes from post-WWII to the present.

We live in a society described by massive data sets, dynamically organized by computer code. New divisions of digital labor align complex data infrastructures while mathematical optimization continues to expand actuarial logics of decision-making. Algorithms also mediate the social communication of networked publics in ways that transform our social selves and social interaction. This research seminar asks: How do we understand the institutional nature of a society of algorithms?

This course is an introduction to the use of quantitative data in sociology. It focuses on the ways in which data is collected, analyzed, and presented to make sociological arguments. It introduces various tools to describe data for single variables, explore relationships between pairs of variables, and make statistical inferences. Students will learn basic skills to conduct their own social science research and analyze data using statistical software.

What is religion and how does religion intersect with inequality? This course explores sociology's foundational understandings of religion -- including why people are religious, how religion is expressed in social terms and forms, and how sociologists have studied religion -- before interrogating the impact of Western secularization, and how religion and religiosity intersects with modern dimensions of social and material inequality. Readings will include selections from across the global religious landscape, with particular attention to the dominant world religions.

This course introduces students to qualitative research methods. In the course students will get basic training in the collection and analysis of qualitative research data, develop experience writing and presenting qualitative data, gain exposure to the theoretical assumptions underlying qualitative inquiry, and learn insights about the ethical responsibilities surrounding qualitative social analysis. We will focus on methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, and close observations.

Animal welfare (i.e., the psychological and physical well-being of an animal) may impact the quality of research on animals but is rarely discussed. In this class we will learn how to assess animal welfare in the common species/settings used in psychology research (e.g., pigeons, rodents, monkeys housed in research facilities, zoos, and sanctuaries).

Languages differ in the way they describe the world. For example, the noun for bridge is feminine in German, but masculine in French. Russian has two words for blue, while English has only one. The Piraha (an Amazonian hunter-gatherer tribe) arguably have no number words. In this course, we will be asking to what extent these cross-linguistic differences are reflected in thought. That is, do German speakers think bridges are more feminine than French speakers do? Can Russian speakers discriminate different shades of blue better than English speakers? Can the Piraha count?

Drawing on research in developmental, social, clinical, and health psychology, this speaking-intensive course investigates how close relationships "get under the skin" to affect our health and well-being. Topics include relational contexts of physical and mental health, sleep, stress, psychoimmunology, substance use, and behavior change. We will focus on attachment relationships, but other close relationships will be investigated as well. The course will emphasize presentations, debate, and student-led discussions, as well as writing assessments and reflection.

The field of psychology has focused predominantly on defining and treating mental illness, rather than the promotion of mental health and resilience broadly. The latter area has tended to be lumped into the idea of "positive psychology." However, this idea of "positive psychology" is narrower in scope than the field of resilience as a whole. Therefore, the course will heavily explore how pop and media presentations of mental health align with the actual clinical science (or not!). Topics will include therapeutic orientations, mindfulness, positive psychology, stress, and behavior change.

This course covers three major theoretical approaches to counseling: short-term psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and solution-focused. Related to each theory we will explore case conceptualization, therapeutic alliance, treatment planning, and mechanisms of change. We will be examining applications to classes of clinical disorders and empirical support for improvement outcomes. Role-playing will be used to illustrate key concepts and approaches to the counseling process.