Courses

Graduate – Spring 2023

Techniques and Methods of Social Science
Subject associations
SOC 503

This is a course on research methods for sociology PhD students. The seminar has four objectives: 1) to review foundational principles of research design and contemporary debates in sociological methodology; 2) to introduce students to the practice of different research methods (e.g., survey research, experiments, in-depth interviews, ethnography) while considering the strengths and limitations of various approaches; 3) to familiarize students with the components of a strong empirical paper and prepare them to identify a topic and data for their empirical paper; and 4) to train students in the conduct of responsible research.

Instructors
Kathryn J. Edin
Kristopher Velasco
Advanced Social Statistics
Subject associations
SOC 504

This course teaches advanced statistical methods for social science in three segments: (1) causal inference, (2) categorical data analysis, and (3) replication analysis. Emphases are on research designs and practical applications rather than statistical theories or computations. Familiarity with basic probability theory, inferential statistics, and linear regression models for continuous dependent variables is assumed.

Instructors
Yu Xie
Research Methods in Demography
Subject associations
POP 502 / SOC 532

Source materials used in the study of population; standard procedures for the measurement of fertility, mortality, natural increase, migration, and nuptiality; and uses of model life tables and stable population analysis and other techniques of estimation when faced with inaccurate or incomplete data are studied.

Instructors
Patrick C. Heuveline
Topics in Economic and Organizational Sociology (Half-Term): Culture and Economic Sociology
Subject associations
SOC 540

Twenty-first century economic sociology is flourishing as a new generation of scholars develops fresh theoretical approaches and makes startling empirical discoveries. In compressed form, this course provides an introduction to the field and its efforts to develop sociological explanations of economic phenomena. In particular, we focus on the place of cultural meanings and social ties in accounting for economic activity. After a general orientation to the field the course explores a wide range of economic activities, including household finances, credit and debt, migrant transactions, payment systems, and consumption.

Instructors
Frederick F Wherry
Viviana A. Zelizer
Topics in Social Stratification (Half-Term): Systemic Racism
Subject associations
SOC 560

"Systemic racism" highlights structural factors that perpetuate racial inequality despite personal intentions and agency. Sociologists were among the first to identify and theorize the subject. This seminar focuses on sociological contributions to the understanding of systemic racism. First we investigate legislative actions and economic factors perpetuating structural barriers. We then examine migration, immigration, urban development, and residential segregation. Finally, we review resistance movements and policies aimed at addressing systemic racism. The seminar pays attention to Asian American experiences.

Instructors
Patricia Fernández-Kelly
Rhacel Parreñas
Social Determinants of Health
Subject associations
SPI 565 / SOC 565 / POP 565

Course examines how and why society can make us sick or healthy and how gender, race/ethnicity, wealth, education, occupation and other social statuses shape health outcomes. It looks at the role of social institutions, and environment-society interactions in shaping health outcomes and examines how these factors underlie some of the major causes of illness and death around the world including infant mortality, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The course draws on historical and cross-cultural material from the U.S. as well as global examples from different countries around the world.

Instructors
Sanyu A. Mojola
Sociological Studies of Inequality (Half-Term)
Subject associations
SPI 590C / SOC 571

This segment of the JDP seminar covers theory and research on social stratification, the major subfield in sociology that focuses on inequality. Course begins by reviewing major theories, constructs, measures, and empirical work on inequality. Weeks two through six focus on institutions that are expected to produce (and reproduce) inequalities, including families, neighborhoods, schools, labor markets, and penal policy.

Instructors
Patrick T. Sharkey
Research Apprenticeship
Subject associations
SOC 599A

The Research Apprenticeship involves faculty assignment to students that lead to the acquisition of new research skills by the student and/or may lead to a joint research project during that semester or in the future. This may include quantitative or qualitative research methods and/or a substantive area of research (i.e. a survey of a literature). It is required during each semester of the first two years of graduate study (A,B,C,D). SOC 599A and 599C are offered in the fall and SOC 599B and 599D are offered in the spring.

Instructors
Shamus R. Khan
Research Apprenticeship
Subject associations
SOC 599B

The Research Apprenticeship involves faculty assignment to students that lead to the acquisition of new research skills by the student and/or may lead to a joint research project during that semester or in the future. This may include quantitative or qualitative research methods and/or a substantive area of research (i.e. a survey of a literature). It is required during each semester of the first two years of graduate study (A,B,C,D). SOC 599A and 599C are offered in the fall and SOC 599B and 599D are offered in the spring.

Instructors
Shamus R. Khan

Undergraduate – Spring 2023

Police Violence, #BlackLivesMatter, and the Covid-19 Pandemic (CD or SA)
Subject associations
SOC 102

This course will examine the historic moment in which we are living in order to introduce students to the concept of race and discipline of sociology. Students will learn to study systematically how human groups interact with one another and how social networks and a variety of institutions help shape those interactions and outcomes. How are these interactions and outcomes categorized and understood? Where do different people fit into the social categories we use to make sense of our societies, and why? And how are different actors able to transform those spaces in which to fit?

Instructors
Frederick F Wherry
Introduction to Urban Studies (SA)
Subject associations
URB 201 / SPI 201 / SOC 203 / ARC 207

This course will examine different crises confronting cities in the 21st century. Topics will range from informal settlements, to immigration, terrorism, shrinking population, sprawl, rising seas, affordable housing, gentrification, smart cities. The range of cities will include Los Angles, New Orleans, Paris, Logos, Caracas, Havana, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai among others.

Instructors
M. Christine Boyer
The Sociology of Human Reproduction (SA)
Subject associations
GSS 211 / GHP 311 / SOC 219

Human reproduction is often taken for granted as a merely biological phenomenon, yet reproduction is laden with cultural meaning and import for individuals and for society as a whole. Despite its significance, reproduction is rarely addressed in the Princeton curriculum. This lecture course explores human reproduction from a sociological perspective. It also seeks to introduce students to some of the basic modes of thinking in both sociology and gender and sexuality studies.

Instructors
Elizabeth M. Armstrong
The Sociology of Crime and Punishment (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 222

This course seeks to provide a sociological account of crime and punishment. Why do people commit crime? How should we respond to crime? How has crime policy changed over the past several decades? What are the consequences of recent crime policy? By reading classic and contemporary sociological research, policy analysis, and media coverage, we will explore the themes of crime and punishment in contemporary society.

Instructors
Lynn S. Chancer
Sociology of Rock (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 224

This course surveys the history and dynamics of rock music using key concepts and perspectives from sociology. It is divided into three sections. Creating looks at the social worlds within which rock music is produced and disseminated, and the components which contribute to its form. Here we look at two case studies: the emergence of rock n roll in the 1950s and the development of punk in the 1970s. Consuming examines rock fandom as individual identity, as part of youth subcultures, and the uses of music in everyday life. Finally, Communing examines local rock music scenes and aspects of live performance.

Instructors
Timothy J. Nelson
The Western Way of War (HA)
Subject associations
SOC 250

A historical and analytical overview of war focusing on the origins and consequences of organized violence, the experience of battle, the creation and behavior of warriors, and the future of such conflicts.

Instructors
Miguel A. Centeno
Technology and Society (SA)
Subject associations
EGR 277 / SOC 277 / HIS 277

Technology and society are unthinkable without each other, each provides the means and framework in which the other develops. To explore this dynamic, this course investigates a wide array of questions on the interaction between technology, society, politics, and economics, emphasizing the themes such as innovation and regulation, risk and failure, ethics and expertise. Specific topics covered include nuclear power and disasters, green energy, the development and regulation of the Internet, medical expertise and controversy, intellectual property, the financial crisis, and the electric power grid.

Instructors
Mihir E. Kshirsagar
Sociological Theory (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 302 / CHV 302

This course takes a close look at the foundational texts and critical concepts in the discipline of sociology, from the 19th century classics to contemporary theorists who have inspired important research agendas. Our two main goals will be to a) engage critically with authors and ideas and b) to develop your own 'sociological eye' and theoretical skills. Key authors will include Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Dubois, Schutz, Goffman, Bourdieu, Foucault, Butler and Latour. We will put these authors in their historical contexts and also ask how they can be used now to interpret contemporary issues and events.

Instructors
John N. Robinson
Machine Learning with Social Data: Opportunities and Challenges
Subject associations
SOC 306 / SML 306

This is a class about using the tools of machine learning to study social data. The power of machine learning tools is their applicability around a wide range of tasks. There are huge opportunities for applying these tools to learn and make decisions about real people but there are also important challenges. This course aims to (1) show social scientists and digital humanities scholars the potential of machine learning to help them learn about humans, make policy and help people while also (2) showing computer scientists how a social science research design perspective can improve their work and give them new outlets for their skills.

Instructors
Brandon M. Stewart
Race and Public Policy (SA)
Subject associations
SPI 331 / SOC 312 / AAS 317 / POL 343

Analyzes the historical construction of race as a concept in American society, how and why this concept was institutionalized publicly and privately in various arenas of U.S. public life at different historical junctures, and the progress that has been made in dismantling racialized institutions since the civil rights era.

Instructors
Douglas S. Massey
Poverty, by America (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 314 / AAS 379

The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages? Drawing on history, social-scientific research, and reporting, this seminar will attempt to unravel this question. Weekly, we will discuss a topic central to understanding the causes and consequences of, and solutions to, American poverty. We will take field trips, welcome guests, and collaborate on projects to abolish poverty.

Instructors
Matthew Desmond
Capitalism (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 316

A survey of past and present perspectives on the origin, development and social consequences of capitalism, covering various aspects including classical political economy and sociology theories, long-term cycles, revolutions, state actors, the welfare state, imperialism, international trade, international finance, labor relations, consumerism, ecology, neoliberalism and the future of capitalism.

Instructors
Larry Liu
Information Technology and Public Policy (SA)
Subject associations
COS 351 / SPI 351 / SOC 353

This course surveys recurring, high-profile issues in technology policy and law. Each session will explore a challenging topic, including consumer privacy, data security, electronic surveillance, net neutrality, online speech, algorithmic fairness, cryptocurrencies, election security, and offensive operations. The seminar will also cover foundational technical concepts that affect policy and law, including internet architecture, cryptography, systems security, privacy science, and artificial intelligence. Materials and discussion will draw extensively from current events and primary sources.

Instructors
Jonathan Mayer
Sports, Recreation and Society (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 362

In both the U.S. and around the globe, formal and informal sports are a key component of social life. This course will help you become an academically literate consumer of and/or participant in sports. Students will consider their own experiences and compare them to accounts of sports in a variety of different community settings. Our discussions will cover both the individual and social benefits of participation in athletics, as well as the risks and value distortions that sports can entail. Students will leave the course better equipped to appreciate the ethical, social, and political undercurrents of societal debates regarding sports.

Instructors
Sam Trejo
Systemic Racism: Myths and Realities (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 373 / AMS 428

This seminar focuses on the structural and institutional foundations of racial discrimination in the United States. It emphasizes the contributions of sociologists, some of whom will participate as invited guests. The course gives a historical overview followed by an investigation of key legislative actions and economic factors inhibiting racial equality. Subsequent topics include migration and immigration; urban development; and residential segregation. The end of the course reviews resistance movements and policies aimed at addressing systemic racism, including restorative justice and reparations.

Instructors
Patricia Fernández-Kelly
Identities: Race, Class, Gender, & Sexuality (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 375

This course will examine our individual and collective identities -- especially as they relate to sexuality, race, gender, and class. We will specifically focus on the social processes that produce these identities, how identities change over time, and the individual and collective anxieties that occur when identities become destabilized. This course will also focus on how power, privilege, and oppression intersect with our identities.

Instructors
Kristopher Velasco
Sociology of Climate Change (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 377 / ENV 322

What is the social basis for the production and distribution of carbon emissions, the source of human-induced climate change? Which people, companies, and countries are responsible? On whom do the effects fall? What makes change possible? We examine the institutions that try to govern carbon emissions, with a focus on different types of governments, social movements, and private firms. We consider how these actors are both similar and different across rich and poor countries, and across the global, national, and urban scales. And we debate proposed solutions that rely on the analyses and evidence that we have studied earlier in the course.

Instructors
Benjamin H. Bradlow
Meritocracy: Myth and Reality (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 378

In 2022, the Supreme Court took up two cases on affirmative action in higher education admissions, and hence on the meaning of merit ---one involving Harvard, the other the University of North Carolina. Meanwhile, in 2021, Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel advised German Social Democratic chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz to use the anti-meritocratic campaign theme of respect that helped him get elected. What is meritocracy and where did it come from? Is it a good way to organize society? What does the future of meritocracy look like? This class will explore the myth and reality of meritocracy to answer these questions.

Instructors
John C. Torpey
Ethnography and Public Policy (SA)
Subject associations
SOC 380

This course seeks to help students understanding the basic elements of the ethnographic method and how it can be applied to the analysis of various public policy settings. We will focus on the suitability of ethnography for addressing at least three basic issues: (1) how people on the ground are affected by public policies; (2) the unintended consequences of public policy; (3) the co-production of public services, particularly the interaction between front line bureaucrats and their clients.

Instructors
Mitchell Duneier
Education Policy in the United States (SA)
Subject associations
SPI 387 / SOC 387 / AMS 487

For the last 60 years, the United States has been engaged in a near-constant effort to reform American schools. In this course, we will make sense of competing explanations of educational performance and evaluate the possibilities for and barriers to improving American public schools and for reducing educational disparities by family socioeconomic status, race, and gender. In doing so, we will grapple with the challenges that researchers and practitioners face in evaluating educational policies.

Instructors
Jennifer L. Jennings
Advanced Seminar in American Studies: Elites in Democratic America (SA)
Subject associations
AMS 403 / SOC 403

The aim of this course is to provide you with the tools to think about elites within democratic societies. The course is divided into four modular units: (1) The Decline of Aristocracy, (2) Creating an American Elite, (3) Elites and Power, and (4) A New Elite. For each of these units we will spend one week reading a theoretical approach to understanding the theme, one week on an empirical case to put this theory in context, and one week reading a novel that works with the themes of the theory and research we have read.

Instructors
Shamus R. Khan
Special Topics in Institutions and Networks: Global Urban Political Economy (SA)
Subject associations
SPI 481 / SOC 481 / URB 481

For the first time, most people now live in cities. One in seven humans lives in an urban slum. We analyze the political, economic, and social dynamics that both create and arise from urbanization, informality, and attempts to govern our contemporary urban world. We ask how formal and informal institutions change inequalities of shelter, work, race, and other social identities, across urban space. We investigate the links between the processes of urbanization and climate change, and how they shape the politics of cities. We draw from cases across the globe, along with a range of social science methods and theoretical perspectives.

Instructors
Benjamin H. Bradlow