Undergraduate Program Chairman: Omar McRoberts, SS 316, 834-8970,

omcrober@uchicago.edu

Departmental Contact: Pat Princell, SS 307, 702-8677

Web: www.sociology.uchicago.edu

Program of Study

The discipline of sociology encompasses a diversity of substantive interests, theoretical orientations, and methodological approaches. The phenomena studied by sociologists range from face-to-face interaction in small groups to the structure of the modern world system. They include the historical emergence, stabilization and disintegration of institutions, practices and symbolic forms, stratification and mobility, demographic change, processes of gendering, urban/rural/suburban communities, race and ethnic relations, mass media, and the social dimensions of such areas as education, family life, law, the military, political behavior, science, and religion. The methodologies of the field range from experimentation, survey research, and ethnography to archival research and mathematical model building.

The knowledge sociology provides for the understanding of human relations and social organization has made it attractive for students considering careers in such professions as business, education, law, marketing, medicine, journalism, social work, politics, public administration, and urban planning. As a basis for more specialized graduate work, it affords entry to careers in social research in federal, state, and local agencies, as well as into business enterprises, private foundations, and research institutes. Sociology also provides an excellent foundation for students who are planning academic careers in any of the social sciences. The program is designed, therefore, to meet the needs of a very diverse group of students.

Program Requirements

Students may enter the sociology program at any time during their second year but no later than the end of Autumn Quarter of their third year. No special application is required for admission to the program, but students are required to inform the sociology department and their College adviser when they decide to enter the program.

Students may enter the program after completing any one of the general education social science sequences. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the required introductory sociology courses as early as possible, definitely before entering their fourth year.

All students are assigned to two advisers: a preceptor and a faculty member. Students should contact the preceptor or the program chair about technical questions regarding the program (e.g., required courses, petitions). Students may wish to contact their faculty advisers with general questions regarding the discipline of sociology or for purposes of designing an individualized program of study.

Course Requirements. Students pursuing a B.A. degree in sociology are expected to complete the following requirements. However, students with adequate background in sociology from general education courses or other sociology courses may petition the program chair to substitute other 20000-level courses for one or more of the introductory sequence courses.

The Introductory Courses

a. Social Theory

SOCI 20002 and 20005. These courses acquaint students with some of the fundamental problems and analytic perspectives of the field of sociology.

SOCI 20002. Social Structure and Change. The central objective of this course is to introduce students to the sociological study of individuals in the society, or how individual actions are shaped by their relation to and position in the social structure while contributing to this structure and its change. A central preoccupation is to articulate the linkage between the individual/micro level and the social/macro level. We focus on sociological approaches to the American society, its position in the international structure and its principal dimensions: race and ethnicity; age, gender, and social class.

SOCI 20005. Sociological Theory. Required of students who are majoring in sociology. Drawing on the classics as well as on contemporary works in sociological theory, this course raises questions about the nature of "theory work" and its relation both to philosophic analysis and empirical research. Authors include Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, Dewey, Parsons, and Merton.

b. Methodology

Students are required to take at least one of the following methodology courses.

SOCI 20001. Sociological Methods. This course introduces the basic strategies and methods of social research. We also cover the ways that sociologists think about questions regarding the social world and what evidence we use to answer them. We review approaches to gathering evidence (e.g., situational analysis, ethnography, intensive personal interviews, focus groups, survey data) using recent books as case studies of these approaches. We develop hypotheses about social processes and test them using data collected by students. Students conduct intensive interviews, focus groups, and surveys, and they also analyze data. Each student is part of a small working group that selects a research topic and is supervised by a T.A.

SOCI 20111. Survey Analysis. This course teaches students how to analyze and write up previously collected survey data: basic logic of multivariate casual reasoning and its application to OLS regression, percentage tables, and log odds. We emphasize practice in writing. This is not a course in sampling methods.

SOCI 20140. Qualitative Field Methods. This course introduces techniques of, and approaches to, ethnographic field research. An emphasis will be placed on quality of attention and awareness of perspective as foundational aspects of the craft. Students will conduct research at a site, compose and share field notes, and produce a final paper distilling sociological insight from the fieldwork.

c. Statistics

SOCI 20004. Statistical Methods of Research. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to widely used quantitative methods in sociology and related social sciences. Topics include analysis of variance and multiple regression, considered as they are used by practicing social scientists. Substitutes for this course are STAT 20000 or higher.

d. Seven additional courses in sociology or related fields, at least four of which must be in sociology. These courses may be drawn from any of the 20000-level courses in sociology and, after completing SOCI 20002, from any 30000-level courses in sociology that have not been cross listed with undergraduate numbers.

e. Senior Seminar (SOCI 29998)

f. B.A. Paper (SOCI 29999; open only to students applying for honors)

Summary of Requirements

                      2      SOCI 20002, 20005, or approved substitute

                      1      SOCI 20001, 20111, or 20140 (sociological methods)

                      1      SOCI 20004/30004 (statistics course)

                      4      sociology courses (one may be a reading and

                                 research course)

                      3      courses in sociology or related fields*
(one may be a reading and research course)

                      1      SOCI 29998 (Senior Seminar)

                    12**

*          Courses offered in the Division of the Social Sciences are, with few exceptions, typically accepted as a matter of course. Humanities courses with significant social science content are also eligible. Please submit a general petition form to the program chair.

**        Students applying for honors must also register for SOCI 29999 (B.A. Paper) for a total of 13 courses.

Senior Project. During their fourth year, all students majoring in sociology are expected to complete an original project of sociological inquiry on a topic of their choice, culminating in a final paper from twenty to forty pages in length. The project may take the form of: either (1) a critical review of a body of literature on a problem developed in conjunction with the work of one or more courses, or (2) an independent research project in which questions are formulated and data are collected and analyzed by the student. Recent projects have included studies of comparative order and disorder in urban neighborhoods in Chicago, immigration and national identity in Germany and Guatemala, processes of gendering in various workplaces, the role of emotions in social theory, the decisions that boys and girls make about what math courses to take in high school, homosexuality and AIDS in South Africa, hegemonic discourses of whiteness in women's magazines, emerging forms of social interation on the Internet, church leadership transition among Korean immigrants, the power of public rhetoric in public housing, role models among Mexican-American youth, gender roles in families of graduate students, peer pressure and teenage pregnancy, and attitudes toward immigration.

The senior project is researched, discussed, and written in the context of the senior seminar (SOCI 29998), which is a yearlong course in which all students must participate. Students enroll in the senior seminar in Spring Quarter of their third year, and they submit a completed thesis during Spring Quarter of their fourth year. They attend the seminar during Spring Quarter of their third year and during Autumn and Winter Quarters of their fourth year.

In general, the senior project is written under the guidance of the preceptors of the department. Students aiming to graduate with honors need to indicate their desire to do so to the program chair at the beginning of Spring Quarter of their third year. They will then choose an individual faculty member under whose supervision they will write their thesis. These students may register for additional reading courses (SOCI 29997); however, only two sociology reading/research courses can be counted toward the courses required for the sociology major. Registration for more than one reading and research course to complete the B.A. paper requires the consent of the program chair.

Grading. All courses required for completion of the sociology program must be taken for quality grades. This includes Reading and Research courses.

Honors. If their cumulative GPA is at or above 3.25 and their GPA in the major is at or above 3.5, students may be nominated for graduation with honors on the basis of the excellence of their thesis. The thesis must be based on substantial individual research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member, and it must be evaluated both by the student's adviser and by the program chair at A- or A.

Declaring a Sociology Major. Before declaring a sociology major, students should discuss their plans with their College adviser. They must then complete the enrollment form, which includes a short entry survey and is available in the Office of the Department of Sociology (SS 307). Before graduation, students are also required to submit a brief exit survey.

B.A. Paper Waiver. Students who have had to withdraw from the University prematurely and, as a result, have been out of residence for an extended period, could, at the designation of the dean of students in the College (see College guidelines), complete their studies by finishing their course work at another university or college. Students may also petition their program chair for a B.A. paper waiver; if the petition is granted, students may substitute adequate course work for the B.A. paper requirements.

Handbook. Students interested in pursuing the B.A. degree in sociology are encouraged to read the brochure Undergraduate Program in Sociology, which is available in the Office of the Department of Sociology (SS 307).

Faculty

A. Abbott, G. Becker, J. Beckfield, C. Bidwell, T. Clark, E. Clemens, J. L. Comaroff,
J. Davis, J. Evans, A. Glaeser, L. Hedges, P. Heuveline, K. Knorr Cetina, R. Lancaster,
E. Laumann, D. Levine, O. McRoberts, W. Parish, M. Riesebrodt, S. Sassen,
B. Schneider, R. Stolzenberg, R. Taub, L. Waite, K. Yamaguchi, Y. Yang, D. Zhao

Courses: Sociology (soci)

20001. Sociological Methods. This course introduces the basic strategies and methods of social research. We also cover the ways that sociologists think about questions regarding the social world and what evidence we use to answer them. We review approaches to gathering evidence (e.g., situational analysis, ethnography, intensive personal interviews, focus groups, survey data) using recent books as case studies of these approaches. We develop hypotheses about social processes and test them using data collected by students. Students conduct intensive interviews, focus groups, and surveys; and they also analyze data. Each student is part of a small working group that selects a research topic and is supervised by a T.A. R. Lancaster. Autumn.

20002. Social Structure and Change. The central objective of this course is to introduce students to the sociological study of individuals in the society, or how individual actions are shaped by their relation to and position in the social structure while contributing to this structure and its change. A central preoccupation is to articulate the linkage between the individual/micro level and the social/macro level. We also concentrate on the latter and the properties of a stratified social fabric. We focus on sociological approaches to the American society, its position in the international structure and its principal dimensions: race and ethnicity, age, gender, and social class. Winter.

20004/30004. Statistical Methods of Research. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to widely used quantitative methods in sociology and related social sciences. Topics include analysis of variance and multiple regression, considered as they are used by practicing social scientists. Winter.

20005. Sociological Theory. Required of sociology majors. Drawing on classics and contemporary works in sociological theory, this course raises questions about the nature of "theory work" and its relation to both philosophic analysis and empirical research. Authors include Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, Dewey, Parsons, and Merton. A. Glaeser. Spring.

20101/30101. Organizational Analysis. (=PBPL 23000) This course is a systematic introduction to theoretical and empirical work on organizations broadly conceived (e.g., public and private economic organizations, governmental organizations, prisons, professional and voluntary associations, health-care organizations). Topics include intraorganizational questions about organizational goals and effectiveness, communication, authority, and decision making. Using recent developments in market, political economy, and neoinstitutional theories, we explore organizational change and interorganizational relationships for their implications in understanding social change in modern societies. E. Laumann. Autumn.

20102/30102. Social Change. This course focuses on economic development, political development, social movements, and opinion change. Case materials are drawn from developing countries, European historical patterns, and the contemporary United States. W. Parish. Autumn.

20103. Social Stratification. Social stratification is the unequal distribution of the goods that members of a society value (e.g., earnings, income, authority, political power, status, prestige). This course introduces various sociological perspectives about stratification. We look at major patterns of inequality throughout human history, how they vary across countries, how they are formed and maintained, how they come to be seen as legitimate and desirable, and how they affect the lives of individuals within a society. The readings incorporate classical theoretical statements, contemporary debates, and recent empirical evidence. The information and ideas discussed in this course are critical for students who plan further study in sociology. They are also extremely useful for students who want to be informed about current social, economic, and political issues. R. Stolzenberg. Winter.

20104/30104. Urban Structure and Process. (=GEOG 22700/32700, SOSC 25100) This course reviews competing theories of urban development, especially their ability to explain the changing nature of cities under the impact of advanced industrialism. Analysis includes a consideration of emerging metropolitan regions, the microstructure of local neighborhoods, and the limitations of the past American experience as a way of developing urban policy both in this country and elsewhere. O. McRoberts. Spring.

20106/30106. Political Sociology. (=ENST 23500, PBPL 23600) PQ: Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences. This course provides analytical perspectives on citizen preference theory, public choice, group theory, bureaucrats and state-centered theory, coalition theory, elite theories, and political culture. These competing analytical perspectives are assessed in considering middle-range theories and empirical studies on central themes of political sociology. Local, national, and cross-national analyses are explored. T. Clark. Spring.

20107/30107. Sociology of Human Sexuality. (=GNDR 27100) PQ: Prior introductory course in the social sciences. After briefly reviewing several biological and psychological approaches to human sexuality as points of comparison, we explore the sociological perspective on sexual conduct and its associated beliefs and consequences for individuals and society. Substantive topics include gender relations; life-course perspectives on sexual conduct in youth, adolescence, and adulthood; social epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (including AIDS); sexual partner choice and turnover; and the incidence/prevalence of selected sexual practices. E. Laumann. Spring.

20108/30108. The Institution of Education. This course is a general survey of the properties of education considered as an institution of historical and contemporary societies. Particular attention is given to institutional formation and change in education, as well as to education's role in processes of social control and social stratification. C. Bidwell. Winter.

20111/30111. Survey Analysis. This course covers how to analyze and write up previously collected survey data: the basic logic of multivariate causal reasoning and its application to OLS regression, percentage tables, and log odds. We emphasize practice in writing. This is not a course in sampling methods. J. Davis. Spring.

20114/30114. Globalization: Empirical and Theoretical Elements. (=ANTH 25700/35700, GEOG 21700/31700) This course examines how different processes of globalization transform key aspects of, and are in turn shaped by, major institutions (e.g., sovereignty, citizenship) and major processes (e.g., urbanization, immigration, digitalization). Particular attention goes to analyzing the challenges for theorization and empirical specification. S. Sassen. Autumn.

20115/30115. Conflict Theory and Aikido. The practice of aikido offers a contemporary exemplar for dealing with conflict that has creative applications in many spheres. This course introduces the theory and practice of aikido together with literature on conflict by economists, sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers. We ask: What is conflict? What forms does it take? Is conflict good or bad? What are the sources, dynamics, and consequences of social conflict? How can conflict be controlled? Physical training on the mat complements readings and discussion. D. Levine. Autumn.

20116/30116. Global-Local Politics. (=PBPL 27900) Globalizing and local forces are generating a new politics in the United States and around the world. This course explores this new politics by mapping its emerging elements: the rise of social issues, ethno-religious and regional attachments, environmentalism, gender and life-style identity issues, new social movements, transformed political parties and organized groups, and new efforts to mobilize individual citizens. T. Clark. Winter.

20118/30118. Survey Research Overview. (=SOSC 20200/30900) The goal for each student is to find a research question to guide his or her overall research design. The course walks students through the steps involved in survey research: finding a funder, writing a grant proposal, sampling, questionnaire design, coding, cleaning, and data analysis. This is a useful introduction for students who are interested in survey research because it provides the big picture of what should be considered when designing survey research and how to approach the different tasks involved in a survey project. This single-quarter course is offered each Autumn and Winter Quarter. M. Van Haitsma. Autumn, Winter.

20120/30120. Urban Policy Analysis. (=PBPL 24800) This course presents an overview of urban policy analysis, focusing on leadership patterns of public officials and their implications for urban public policy (especially economic development). It reviews major interpretations of how urban politics and leadership work in cities around the world today. Knowledge, culture, and amenities are added to the traditional drivers. Which specific cities and leaders have followed different sets of strategies and with what consequences? Comparative analyses of cities around the world will be used, as well as case studies of individual cities (especially Chicago). T. Clark. Autumn.

20122/30122. Introduction to Population. (=ENST 20500) This course provides an introduction to the field of demography, which examines the growth and characteristics of human populations. We give an overview of our knowledge of three fundamental population processes: fertility, mortality, and migration. We cover marriage, cohabitation, marital disruption, aging, and population and environment. In each case we examine historical trends. We also discuss causes and consequences of recent trends in population growth, and the current demographic situation in developing and developed countries. L. Waite. Winter.

20125/30125. Rational Foundations of Social Theory. This course introduces conceptual and analytical tools for the micro foundations of macro and intermediate-level social theories, taking as a basis the assumption of rational action. Those tools are then used to construct theories of power, social exchange, collective behavior, socialization, trust, norm, social decision making and justice, business organization, and family organization. K. Yamaguchi. Winter.

20131/30131. Social and Political Movements. This course provides a general overview and a synthesis on theories of social and political movements. The emphasis is on the importance of state and state-society relations to the rise and outcome of a social or political movement. D. Zhao. Spring.

20133/30133. American Sociological Thought, 1900 to 1980. Sociological thought in the United States reflects both the distinctive features of American intellectual traditions (i.e., most notably, pragmatism) and distinctive problems of American society (e.g., immigration, ethnic pluralism, mobility, urbanization, professionalization, crises of democracy). This course samples work by outstanding American sociological thinkers across three periods: 1900 to 1930 (Dewey, Cooley, Mead, Thomas, Addams); 1930 to 1950 (Hughes, Wirth, Merton, Parsons); and 1950 to 1980 (Riesman, Janowitz, Merton, Parsons). D. Levine. Spring.

20138/30138. Politics, Participation, Organization. When and why do citizens participate in politics? What skills do they bring to that participation? And why should we care? These questions are central to debates in both democratic theory and political sociology. Through case studies of voluntary associations and social movements, the course explores how participation is shaped by distinctive organizational cultures that create both opportunities and constraints for political actions. E. Clemens. Autumn.

20140. Qualitative Field Methods. This course introduces techniques of, and approaches to, ethnographic field research. An emphasis is placed on quality of attention and awareness of perspective as foundational aspects of the craft. Students conduct research at a site, compose and share field notes, and produce a final paper distilling sociological insight from the fieldwork. O. McRoberts. Winter.

20144/30144. War and State Formation in Early China. This course is designed to convey understanding of how the warfare during China's Spring to Autumn (722 to 481 B.C.E.) and Warring States (480 to 221 B.C.E.) period facilitated the crystallization of seven major patterns of Chinese history. We discuss the imperial system, the meritocratically-selected bureaucracy, the strong state tradition, the lack of impact on politics by transcendental religions and commercial classes, the role of nomadic conquerors in expanding territories and influence, and the subordination of the army to civilian control. D. Zhao. Spring.

20146/30146. Culture and Politics. This course explores how cultural activities (e.g., rap, rock, martial arts) can mobilize and legitimate political constituencies (e.g., Black Power, gays). Political leaders frame and spin images through music and talk shows. Culture and politics blend in post-industrial society, which is increasingly driven by knowledge and consumption. Personal acts defining identity (eating vegan) can grow into social movements (eco-protest). New cultural groups conflict with each other and transform the dynamics of class, party, interest groups, and clientelism. We examine global and U.S. examples with a focus on subcultural and regional transformations. T. Clark. Autumn.

20149/30149. Technoscience and Information. (=ANTH 25605/35805, CHSS 32300, HIPS 23301) This course opens the black box of scientific knowledge production and technological work. We draw on the new science and technology studies (STS) and on ethnographic work in surveying constructivist, actor-network, cultural, historical, and feminist approaches to the study of science and knowledge. A first goal of the course is to examine the theoretical concepts and empirical findings of current approaches to science and technology. A second goal is to examine how these elements extend to and are complemented by theories of information and the creative character of contemporary societies. K. Knorr Cetina. Winter.

20150/30150. Consumption. (=ANTH 25401/35401) The modern period was associated with industrial production, class society, rationalization, disenchantment, the welfare state, and the belief in salvation by society. Starting from the question "why do we want things," we discuss theories and empirical studies that focus on consumption and identity formation; on shopping and the consumption of symbolic signs; on consumption as linked to the re-enchantment of modernity; as a process of distinction and of the globalization of frames; and as related to time and information. The course is built around approaches that complement the "productionist" focus of the social sciences. K. Knorr Cetina. Autumn.

20152. Migration and Immigration: Causes and Consequences. This course reviews basic concepts, research methodology, and theories (i.e., economic, demographic, sociological, social-psychological) for all forms of spatial mobility (i.e., local moving, internal migration, immigration). Equal emphasis is given to the United States and to other world regions. The goal is to prepare students for independent research and/or policy investigation on a wide range of topics and issues pertaining to the voluntary and involuntary spatial movement of people in the modern world. D. Bogue. Autumn.

20153/30153. Professions and Capitalism. This course examines the evolution of the professions in the last fifty years. This period has seen vast shifts in economic and work arrangements as well as in the roles and powers of the state. These transformations have fundamentally changed the nature of professions and professsionals. The course begins with the system of professions as it had evolved by the postwar period. It then studies the effects of neoliberal transformations, legal changes, client organization, and globalization on the experience and organization of professional work. It also examines the roles of professionals in bringing about those changes and the extent to which these results destroy the earlier structure of independence on which the professions' authority rested. A. Abbott. Autumn.

20157/30157. Mathematical Models. This course examines mathematical models and related analyses of social action, emphasizing a rational-choice perspective. About half the lectures focus on models of collective action, power, and exchange as developed by Coleman, Bonacich, Marsden, and Yamaguchi. Then the course examines models of choice over the life course, including rational and social choice models of marriage, births, friendship networks, occupations, and divorce. Both behavioral and analytical models are surveyed. K. Yamaguchi. Spring.

20159/30159. Urban School Reform and Organizational Change. This course explores the goals and logic of American education and school improvement efforts. Current school reform debate and policies are analyzed in a review of theories of organizational change, the context of schools and educational policy. We also discuss diverging views around Head Start, bilingual education, money, class size, and social promotion. Reform policies are considered with a focus on understanding the wide range of goals for education, the process of policy making, and the complexity of organizational and systemic change. S. Stoelinga. Autumn.

28015. Technology and Society. Through a combination of lecture, discussion and student projects this course examines how technology influences social structures and processes and how society shapes the direction and pace of technological change. The class is aimed at students in social sciences and does not assume a technology background. E. Obukhova. Spring.

28020. Adolescent Social Contexts. This course provides an interdisciplinary view and study of adolescent development, with a particular focus on the multiple social contexts and relationships influencing adolescent lives. With a foundation in sociological theory and concepts, students read and discuss works drawn from multiple disciplines in line with recent research on adolescent development. The course aims to generate an appreciation for the complexity of influences affecting adolescent decision making as manifested in prosocial or problem behaviors. T. N. Gannon. Autumn.

28021. Relational Sociology. What role do personal ties play in finding a job, succeeding at school, and being healthy? Focusing on social relationships provides an alternative perspective in the social sciences for studying varied social phenomena, such as socioeconomic attainment, immigration, community integration, and collective action. Rather than assuming that individual behavior is the result of autonomous action or structural constraint, the relational approach is based on the premise that human behavior is best understood in the context of its embeddedness in a constellation of social relations. Students discuss relational concepts widely used in contemporary sociological research, such as social capital, embeddedness, trust, reciprocity, and social networks, and learn about methods used in studying social ties. S. Offer. Winter.

28022. Theorizing the Global Ghetto. This course seeks to establish a historical context underlying the sociological exploration of the ghetto to explore what impact globalization theory has had in reshaping the way we think and talk about this urban space. Students consider how both historical and modern understandings of the ghetto or the slum inform contemporary debate over notions of cosmopolitanism, global civil society and hybrid identities. R. Nashashibi. Winter.

29997. Readings in Sociology. PQ: Consent of instructor and program chair. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. May be taken P/Fwith consent of instructor. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

29998. Senior Seminar. PQ: Open only to students with fourth-year standing who are majoring in sociology. Must be taken for a quality grade. This course is a forum for students to present their B.A. papers. Students typically take this three-quarter sequence in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters of their fourth year. Each quarter counts as one-third course credit; however, students formally register for only one quarter, usually Spring Quarter. Students graduating at a time other than June should participate in three quarters of the senior seminar in the twelve months before graduation. See the more general statement about the B.A. paper in the brochure Undergraduate Program in Sociology, which is available in the office of the Department of Sociology. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

29999. B.A. Paper. PQ: Consent of instructor and program chair. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. May be taken P/F with consent of instructor. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

The following 30000-level courses are open to College students.

30302. Problems of Public Policy Implementation. (=PBPL 22300) PQ: One 20000-level social sciences course. PBPL 22100-22200-22300 may be taken in sequence or individually. Once a governmental policy or program is established, there is the challenge of getting it carried out in ways intended by the policy makers. We explore how obstacles emerge because of problems of hierarchy, competing goals, and cultures of different groups. We then discuss how these obstacles may be overcome by groups, as well as by creators and by those responsible for implementing programs. We also look at varying responses of target populations. R. Taub. Spring.

30303. Urban Landscapes as Social Text. (=GEOG 42400) PQ: Advanced standing and consent of instructor. This seminar explores the meanings found in varieties of urban landscapes, both in the context of individual elements and composite structures. These meanings are examined in relation to three fundamental approaches that can be identified in the analytical literature on landscapes: normative, historical, and communicative modes of conceptualization. Emphasis is placed on analyzing the explicitly visual features of the urban landscape. Students pursue research topics of their own choosing within the general framework. M. Conzen. Autumn.