The distinguished American sociologist, David Riesman, who played a major role in the creation of the general education program in the social sciences at Chicago, once observed that it was only with a "marvelous hubris" that students were encouraged to range over such "large territory" in the social sciences. Indeed, since the 1940s, yearlong sequences designed to introduce students to different types of social scientific data and different forms of social sciences inquiry have become a permanent feature of the Chicago curriculum. Although considerable variety manifests itself in the way the social sciences courses in general education are organized, most of the sequences are informed, as Robert Redfield once suggested, by an attempt "to communicate the historical development of contemporary society" and by an effort "to convey some understanding of the scientific spirit as applied to social problems and the capacity to address oneself in that spirit to such a problem." By training students in the analysis of social phenomena through the development and use of interdisciplinary and comparative concepts, the courses also try to determine the characteristics common among many societies, thus enabling the individual to use both reason and special knowledge to confront rapid social change in the global world of the late twentieth century.

The Social Sciences Collegiate Division offers several social science and civilization sequences in the general education program. It also offers specialized courses that provide a particularly interdisciplinary or comparative theoretical perspective and may be of interest to students in a variety of majors. The latter set of courses should also be considered as attractive possibilities for electives.

Courses: Social Sciences (sosc)

General Education Sequences

11100-11200-11300. Power, Identity, and Resistance. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. G. Herrigel, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

11100. This quarter looks at the relationship between the economy and power in the age of Capitalism. It examines topics such as the nature of economic process, the logic of the division of labor, the prevalence and character of exploitation in economic relationships, and the scope for political intervention in the economy. Also considered are the roles of values and culture in economic process, as well as the historical and cultural variability of the boundaries between the economy, society, and politics. Readings include classic works in modern political economy and its critique by Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim.

11200. PQ: SOSC 11100. The focus of this quarter is on the relationship between politics and power in the modern age. The course begins by investigating the classical liberal emphasis on individuals and individualism, and its distinct understanding of government as a contract and of the role of the political in maintaining order and protecting the rights of its citizens. The course then considers criticisms of the liberal conception coming from both the left and the right. Questions of equality, liberty, rights, identity, boundary, order, and history preoccupy us. Readings include texts by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Wollstonecraft, Mill, Nietzsche, Schmitt, and Gandhi.

11300. PQ: SOSC 11200. Spring Quarter analyzes the way in which the themes of the first two quarters worked themselves out in the history of the twentieth century. The course begins by examining debates about revolution and reform, national socialism, and the viability of democracy. The middle of the course examines debates about the nature of modern capitalism and the possibility of reforming it. Themes here are the emergence of the welfare state and the changing character of opposition in the middle of the century. The final part of the course considers the emergence of identity politics and the growing importance of human rights in oppositional discourse at century's end. Readings include Lenin, Trotsky, Luxemburg, Gentile, Hayek, Polanyi, Marcuse, Foucault, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X.

12100-12200-12300. Self, Culture, and Society. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. M. Postone, B. Cohler, W. Sewell. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

12100. In this quarter, we explore the nature and development of modern society through an examination of theories of capitalism. The classic social theories of Smith, Marx, and Weber, along with contemporary ethnographic and historical works, serve as points of departure for considering the characterizing features of the modern world, with particular emphasis on its social-economic structure and issues of work, the texture of time, and economic globalization.

12200. PQ: SOSC 12100. In this quarter, we focus on the relation of culture, social life, and history. On the basis of readings from Durkheim, Lévi-Strauss, Sahlins, Foucault, Benjamin, Adorno, and other anthropologists and cultural theorists, we investigate how systems of meaning expressed through metaphors, symbols, rituals, and narratives constitute and articulate individual and social experience across a range of societies, including our own, and how those systems of meaning change historically.

12300. PQ: SOSC 12200. In this quarter, we concern ourselves with the question of how personhood is constructed socially, culturally, and historically. Our considerations include issues of gender, sexuality, and ethnic identity, through the study of the wide range of approaches found in the works of Freud, Goffman, Vygotsky, de Beauvoir, Fanon, and others.

13100-13200-13300. Democracy and Social Science. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. How does the democratic process work in practice? What role can social scientific knowledge play in public policy and decision making? How does the democratic process know "what the public wants?" This course explores these questions by examining classic and contemporary points of view on democracy, equality, public opinion, and representation. The course's aim is to understand the democratic process from a social scientific point of view, as well as to show the role of social science in that process. The course involves work of three kinds, taken up in the three quarters seriatim. In Autumn Quarter, we read classic works on democracy and its functioning. Readings come from Rousseau, Dewey, Tocqueville, Engels, the Federalist Papers, Michael Young, and empirical studies of American voting. In Winter Quarter, students examine major social policy issues, both through reading classic analyses and through gaining hands-on practice at empirical analysis of social issues using the General Social Survey, the National Voting Studies, and other data sets. A central focus of Winter Quarter is on the practice of empirical social analysis from the philosophy of science to techniques of empirical analysis. In Spring Quarter, students study a particular policy area (the course in the past has used education and medicine, but may choose new areas as faculty interest dictates) and prepare an empirical research paper on a topic they choose. L. Hedges, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

14100-14200-14300. Mind. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This sequence presents an introduction to the study of how people think and understand. We examine mental processes such as perception, memory, and judgment, and the relationship between language and thought. This course focuses on the issue of what is innate versus what is learned, the development of thought in children, and the logic of causal, functional, and evolutionary explanations. Another theme of the course is the problem of rationality vis-à-vis the canons that govern the language and thought of the ideal scientist and how those compare to the canons that govern ordinary language and thought, the language and thought of other cultures, and the language and thought of actual scientists. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

15100-15200-15300. Classics of Social and Political Thought. PQ: Must be taken in sequence. What is justice? What makes a good society? This sequence examines such problems as the conflicts between individual interest and common good; between morality, religion, and politics; and between liberty and equality. We read classic writings from Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine to such great founders and critics of modernity as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Constant, Tocqueville, Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, and Weber. Writing before our departmentalization of disciplines, they were at the same time sociologists, psychologists, political scientists, economists, and moralists; they offer contrasting alternative conceptions of society and politics that underlie continuing controversies in the social sciences and in contemporary political life. D. Allen, G. Balakrishnan, C. Greenwald, J. Levy, M. Lilla, P. Markell, J. McCormick, P. Nordeen, R. Pippin, E. Putterman, W. Schweiker, N. Tarcov, I. Young. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Collegiate Courses

20200/30900. Survey Research Overview. (=SOCI 20118/30118) 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.

20600. Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences. (=HUDV 24300, PSYC 24300/39300) This seminar explores the variety of qualitative methods used in social science study. Perspectives surveyed include field study, including the Chicago studies of social disorganization. We also discuss "grounded theory," ethnography and study of culture, and narrative and life-story approaches to study of person and social life. Attention is devoted to issues of method such as reliability and validity, implications for philosophy of social science study, and portrayal of both person and context or setting. We focus on the complex interplay of observer and observed, and we also examine "reflexivity" in the human sciences. B. Cohler. Winter.

21100-21200. Music in Western Civilization. (=HIST 12700-12800, MUSI 12100-12200) Prior music course or ability to read music not required. This two-quarter sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. It may not be used to meet the general education requirement in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts. This two-quarter sequence explores musical works of broad cultural significance in Western civilization. We study pieces not only from the standpoint of musical style, but also through the lenses of politics, intellectual history, economics, gender, cultural studies, and so on. Readings are taken both from our music textbook and from the writings of a number of figures such as St. Benedict of Nursia and Martin Luther. The format of the class consists of lectures, as well as discussions, in smaller sections that focus on important issues in the readings and on music listening exercises.

21100. Music in Western Civilization: To 1750. Students must confirm enrollment by attending one of the first two sessions of class. A. Robertson. Winter.

21200. Music in Western Civilization: 1750 to the Present. Students must confirm enrollment by attending one of the first two sessions of class. Spring.

21700-21800-21900. Introduction to Linguistics I, II, III. (=ANTH 27001-27002-27003/37001-37001-37003, LING 20100-20200-20300/ 30100-30200-30300) PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course is an introductory survey of methods, findings, and problems in areas of major interest within linguistics and of the relationship of linguistics to other disciplines. Topics include the biological basis of language, basic notions of syntax, semantics, pragmatics, basic syntactic typology of language, phonetics, phonology, morphology, language acquisition, linguistic variation, and linguistic change. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

22000-22100. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I, II, III. (=NEHC 20601-20602/30601-30602) This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This two-quarter sequence surveys the social, religious, and cultural institutions of the Islamic world, from Spain to India. We cover the period from the rise of Islam to early modern times. Texts in English.

22000. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I. (=NEHC 20601/30601) The first quarter (roughly 600 to 1100) concentrates on the career of the Prophet Muhammad; Qur'an and Hadith; the Caliphate; the development of Islamic legal, theological, philosophical, and mystical discourses; sectarian movements; and Arabic literature. W. Kadi. Autumn.

22100. Introduction to Islamic Civilization II. (=NEHC 20602/30602) The second quarter (roughly 1100 to 1800) surveys Islamic political, social, and cultural development in the eras of the Crusades, the Mongol invasions, and the "gunpowder empires" of the Ottomans, the Safavids, and the Mughals, as represented in works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature and the art and architecture of selected regions. Texts in English. R. Dankoff, J. Perry. Winter.

22200. Introduction to Islamic Civilization III. (=NEHC 20603/30603) This class explores works of Arab intellectuals who interpreted various aspects of Islamic philosophy, political theory, and law in the modern age. Each class contextualizes the works of a particular thinker or of a group of thinkers in order to investigate different approaches to the projects of science, colonialism, and Arab nationalism. More specifically, we look at diverse interpretations concerning the role of religion in a modern society, at secularized and historicized approaches to religion, and at the critique of both religious establishments and nation states as articulated by Arab intellectuals. Generally, we discuss secondary literature first and the primary sources later. O. Bashkin. Spring.

22400. Rhetorical Theories of Legal and Political Reasoning. (=HUMA 21400, ISHU 22800/32800, LLSO 22400) This course uses Plato's Gorgias to raise the question of whether practical thinking is possible and considers responses to this question by such writers as Aristotle, Cicero, and Machiavelli. We study the methods and concepts that each writer uses to defend the cogency of legal, deliberative, or more generally political prudence against explicit or implicit charges that practical thinking is merely a knack or form of cleverness. W. Olmsted. Winter.

22500-22600. Introduction to African Civilization I, II. (=ANTH 20701-20702, HIST 10101-10102) General education social science sequence recommended. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. The first portion of this two-quarter sequence begins with some very general introduction to Africa. We then focus on two areas/peoples of West Africa: the Mande and the Igbo. Both sections deal with precolonial, colonial, and contemporary issues. The approach throughout includes anthropological, historical, and literary analysis. The second quarter of African Civilization explores processes of historical transformation in Africa, more specifically the complex legacy of the colonial encounter. Over the course of the late nineteenth century, the African continent was divided up among different European powers. Although sometimes at odds with each other, colonial governments, traders, and missionaries all sought, in different ways, to transform African peoples. In this class, we consider some of those interventions, how diverse African peoples responded, and the more general experience of African modernity. R. Austen, Autumn; J. Cole, Winter.

23000-23100. Introduction to the Civilization of South Asia I, II. (=ANTH 24101-24102, HIST 10800-10900, SALC 20100-20200, SASC 20000-20100) Must be taken in sequence. This course meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This sequence of courses provides an introduction to core themes in the formation of culture and society in South Asia before colonialism. In Autumn Quarter, readings selected mainly from Sanskrit and vernacular sources address ideas and practices relating to space, time, self, power, language, love, beauty, death, and spirit. Winter Quarter focuses on Islam in South Asia, Hindu-Muslim interaction, Mughal political and literary traditions, and South Asia's early encounters with Europe. Autumn, Winter.

23500-23600-23700. Introduction to the Civilizations of East Asia I, II, III. (=EALC 10800-10900-11000, HIST 15100-15200-15300) May be taken in sequence or individually. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This is a three-quarter sequence on the civilizations of China, Japan, and Korea, with emphasis on major transformation in these cultures and societies from the Middle Ages to the present. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

24000-24100. Introduction to Russian Civilization I, II. (=HIST 13900-14000, RUSS 25100-25200) Taking these courses in sequence is recommended but not required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This two-quarter, interdisciplinary course studies geography, history, literature, economics, law, fine arts, religion, sociology, and agriculture, among other fields, to see how the civilization of Russia has developed and functioned since the ninth century. The first quarter covers the period up to 1801; the second, since 1801. The course has a common lecture by a specialist in the field, usually on a topic about which little is written in English. Two weekly seminar meetings are devoted to discussion of the readings, which integrate the materials from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. The course attempts to inculcate an understanding of the separate elements of Russian civilization. Emphasis is placed on discovering indigenous elements of Russian civilization and how they have reacted to the pressures and impact of other civilizations, particularly Byzantine, Mongol-Tataric, and Western. The course also considers problems of the social sciences, such as the way in which the state has dominated society, stratification, patterns of legitimization of the social order, symbols of collective social and cultural identity, the degrees of pluralism in society, and the autonomy an individual has vis-à-vis the social order. Also examined are such problems as the role of the center in directing the periphery and its cultural, political, and economic order; the mechanisms of control over the flow of resources and the social surplus; and processes of innovation and modernization. This course is offered in alternate years. R. Hellie, N. Ingham. Autumn, Winter.

25100. Urban Structure and Process. (=GEOG 22700/32700, SOCI 20104/30104) 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.

25300. Social Welfare in the United States. (=PBPL 25300, SSAD 45001) This course examines the evolution of social welfare provisions in American society. Special emphasis is placed on who is helped and who is not, in what forms, under what auspices, and with what goals. The changing nature of helping is analyzed with particular attention to the changing role of the state. Readings and discussion focus on provisions for the poor, for children and families, and for the mentally ill. Comparisons are made with other industrialized countries. H. Richman. Spring.

##25501-25502-22503. Foundations of Education. PQ: Consent of instructor. Must be taken in sequence during the same academic year. Credit for each quarter is granted if all three courses are completed successfully. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

25501. Schools and Communities. Students begin to relate their pre-existing understanding of the social sciences (gained through prior coursework at the University of Chicago) with the realities of educational institutions in urban settings. They engage in sociological, historical, geographic, anthropological, economic, and political inquiry and learn how to apply these disciplines toward the understanding of educational trends and issues (e.g., schools as communities, social capital, the causes and effects of local control, equity, funding). Special emphasis is placed on current reform efforts in urban schools.

25502. Human Development and Learning. This course focuses on understanding the physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development of children and the cultural contexts in which development occurs, with particular emphasis on children in urban settings. Students explore the following central issues of child development: (1) the diverse pathways of change; (2) the interplay between biology and environment in development; and (3) interrelatedness of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. They learn and apply tools and techniques to make naturalistic observations of children and conduct child, family, and school interviews.

25503. The Purposes and Effects of Urban Education. This course examines philosophical issues affecting educational policy and instructional practice. Each issue is addressed through examination of foundational philosophical texts and elaborated through more contemporary perspectives. Among the issues to be addressed are: What are the purposes of education and schooling? What should be the relative importance of providing for common experiences (cultural integration) and helping individuals and groups to establish their unique cultural identity? What should be the comparative importance of academic learning versus moral development in schools? What are the positives and negatives of placing increased emphasis on measuring the academic results of schooling?

26100-26200-26300. Introduction to Latin American Civilization I, II, III. (=ANTH 23101-23102-23103, HIST 16101-16102-16103, LACS 16100-16200-16300/34600-34700-34800) May be taken in sequence or individually. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. This course is an introduction to the history and cultures of Latin America (e.g., Mexico, Central America, South America, Caribbean Islands). Autumn Quarter examines the origins of civilizations in Latin America with a focus on the political, social, and cultural features of the major pre-Columbian civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec. The quarter concludes with consideration of the Spanish and Portuguese conquest and the construction of colonial societies in Latin America. Winter Quarter addresses the evolution of colonial societies, the wars of independence, and the emergence of Latin American nation-states in the changing international context of the nineteenth century. Spring Quarter focuses on the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the challenges of economic, political, and social development in the region. E. Kouri, Autumn; Staff, Winter, Spring.

26900. The Complex Problem of World Hunger. (=BIOS 02810, BPRO 24800, ENST 24800) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. It is difficult to remember that, in some parts of the world, periodic famines still decimate families and communities. Few of our policymakers are experts in economics, agronomy, food science, and molecular biology, yet all of these disciplines are essential for developing strategies to end world hunger. Choosing one country as a test case, we look at the history, politics, governmental structure, population demographics, and agricultural challenges. We then study the theory of world markets, global trade, and microeconomics of developing nations, as well as the promise and limitation of traditional breeding and biotechnology. J. Malamy. Spring.

28200-28300. Problems in Gender Studies. (=ENGL 10200-10300, GNDR 10100-10200, HUMA 22800-22900) PQ: Second-year standing or higher. Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences or humanities, or the equivalent. May be taken in sequence or individually. This two-quarter interdisciplinary sequence is designed as an introduction to theories and critical practices in the study of feminism, gender, and sexuality. Both classic texts and recent conceptualizations of these contested fields are examined. Problems and cases from a variety of cultures and historical periods are considered, and the course pursues their differing implications in local, national, and global contexts. Both quarters also engage questions of aesthetics and representation, asking how stereotypes, generic conventions, and other modes of circulated fantasy have contributed to constraining and emancipating people through their gender or sexuality.

28200. Problems in the Study of Gender. This course addresses the production of particularly gendered norms and practices. Using a variety of historical and theoretical materials, it addresses how sexual difference operates in various contexts (e.g., nation, race, class formation, work, the family, migration, imperialism, postcolonial relations). S. Michaels, Autumn; E. Hadley, Spring.

28300. Problems in the Study of Sexuality. This course focuses on histories and theories of sexuality: gay, lesbian, heterosexual, and otherwise. This exploration involves looking at a range of materials from anthropology to the law and from practices of sex to practices of science. S. Michaels. Winter.

28601. Creation and Creativity. (=ANTH 27610, BPRO 27600, HUMA 27600, ISHU 27650) PQ: Third- or fourth-year standing. This seminar explores several creation stories from anthropological, literary, philosophical, and psychological perspectives. We compare the accounts of the beginning in Genesis, Hesiod's Theogony, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Bhagavad Gita, the Maya's Popol Vuh, and other sources (e.g., Native American). We explore the ways cosmic creation has been imagined in world culture. (Are there universals? What is culturally specific?) We also delineate human literary creativity and ask about the relationship between individual creativity and the cultural myths of creation. We consider at least one modern theory of the beginning of the universe. P. Friedrich, K. Mitova. Spring.

##29500. Readings in Social Sciences in a Foreign Language. PQ: At least one year of language. Students are required to make arrangements with appropriate instructors and obtain consent of senior adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

##29700. Independent Study in the Social Sciences. PQ: Consent of instructor and senior adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

##29900. B.A. Paper in Russian Civilization. PQ: Consent of instructor and undergraduate program chair. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This is a reading and research course for independent study related to B.A. research and B.A. paper preparation. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

34500-34600. Anthropology of Museums I, II. (=ANTH 34501-34502, HUDV 34501-34502, MAPS 34500-34600) PQ: Advanced standing and consent of instructor. This sequence examines museums from a variety of perspectives. We consider the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the image and imagination of African-American culture as presented in local museums, and museums as history and memorials as exemplified by Holocaust exhibitions. Several visits to area museums required. R. Fogelson, M. Fred. Winter, Spring.