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Course Criteria
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3.00 Credits
In this course, we will explore the role that religion has played in answers to the question of identity, specifically focusing on the peoples of the four continents surrounding the Atlantic. We will begin with an introduction to some important theorists in the social sciences and how they have explained the relationship between religion and identity. Then we will focus on the narratives of five individuals as case studies through which to explore this question, using their personal writings as well as biographies. All of these individuals have adhered to a religious tradition, have moved across countries and regions, and are exemplary of larger movements of people throughout the Atlantic World. The course will also serve as a basic introduction to three major religious traditions: Christianity, Islam, and African traditional religion.
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3.00 Credits
The critically acclaimed television program, The Wire, ran for five seasons on Home Box Office (HBO) between 2002 and 2008. Set in "inner city" Baltimore, the program addressed a wide array of topics, including, but not limited to, the urban drug trade, law enforcement, local city politics, labor unions, education, and the newspaper industry. Though a work of "fiction," sociologist William Julius Wilson has called the show an important and instructive portrayal of the "deep inequality in inner-city America." By contrast, some scholars and critics have decried the series and indeed, courses like this one, as examples of mainstream America's fascination with and acceptance of African American drug use, criminal tendencies, and corruption. In this course, we will not deconstruct The Wire per se, but use select episodes from the series to explore key issues in Africana Studies, ranging from political geography to a history of Baltimore and the "War on Drugs." Students should have some familiarity with the show. Africana Studies will show select episodes during Winter Study. Readings will include texts about African American urban life, such as Elijah Anderson's Code of the Street and Sudhir Venkatesh's Gang Leader for a Day.
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3.00 Credits
An exploration of the occupational world of intelligence officers. A focus on the 20th-century history of intelligence in the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, and on the post 9/11 Western intelligence efforts against Islamist terrorists. An appraisal of the structure and ethos of intelligence work both in the field and in the headquarters analysis of field materials. An examination of the training, social psychology, moral rules-in-use, and world views of intelligence officers, including those engaged in counterintelligence and counterespionage. A look at remarkable intelligence successes and catastrophic failures. Extensive reading of memoirs written by former intelligence officers.
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3.00 Credits
A sociological analysis of the phenomenon of mass persuasion in modern society. The course will examine the institutional and technical apparatus of modern propaganda and the role of intellectuals and technicians in shaping and disseminating propaganda. The symbolic content of specific kinds of propaganda--political, commercial, social, and organizational--will be considered with attention to propaganda that seeks to overthrow social structures as well as maintain them. The course will proceed through a series of intensive case studies with a particular focus on propagandists themselves, considered as experts with symbols, and on the institutional milieux in which they work. Among other examples, we will examine the U.S. Committee on Public Information during the First World War; the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda; the propaganda machinery in contemporary states and non-state actors of both the left and right; conservative and liberal "public interest" groups; propaganda in contemporary social movements and national political campaigns; the workings of corporate and university personnel offices; and advertising and public relations agencies in the United States. Throughout the course, we will analyze how the language, ideologies, and visual symbols of particular varieties of propaganda seem to affect mass audiences.
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3.00 Credits
Sociology independent study.
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3.00 Credits
Sociology independent study.
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3.00 Credits
Sociology senior thesis.
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3.00 Credits
Sociology senior thesis.
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3.00 Credits
It is nearly impossible to live in the world today without being inundated with data. Even the most popular newspapers feature statistics to catch the eye of the passerby, and sports broadcasters overwhelm the listener with arcane statistics. How do we learn to recognize dishonest or even unintentionally distorted representations of quantitative information? How are we to reconcile two medical studies with seemingly contradictory conclusions? How many observations do we need in order to make a decision? It is the purpose of this course to develop an appreciation for and an understanding of the interpretation of data. We will become familiar with the standard tools of statistical inference including the t-test, the analysis of variance, and regression, as well as exploratory data techniques. Applications will come from the real world that we all live in.
Prerequisite:
Mathematics 100/101/102 (or demonstrated proficiency on a diagnostic test; see Mathematics 100
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3.00 Credits
Statistics can be viewed as the art (science?) of turning data into information. Real world decision-making, whether in business or science is often based on data and the perceived information it contains. Sherlock Holmes, when prematurely asked the merits of a case by Dr. Watson, snapped back, "Data, data, data! I can't make bricks without clay." In this course, we will study the basic methods by which statisticians attempt to extract information from data. These will include many of the standard tools of statistical inference such as the t-test, analysis of variance and linear regression as well as exploratory and graphical data analysis techniques.
Prerequisite:
Mathematics 105 or equivalent; students without any calculus background should consider Statistics 101 instead
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